# How many "states"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 29, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935 "2003-03-29T00:51:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/1 "2003-03-29T00:51:17Z")
We’re always told that the US has 50 states, but Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky (to my knowledge) refer to themselves as “Commowealths”.
So are we 47 states and 3 Commonwealths? And what about the “Republic” of Texas?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/2 "2003-03-29T01:02:55Z")
It is my understanding that a state’s reference to itself as a “commonwealth” has no legal significance on the federal level. As far as the feds are concerned, they’re all states.
BTW, Massachusetts also refers to itself as a commonwealth.
The “Republic of Texas” only existed from 1836 to 1845, when it became the “State of Texas” following its admission to the Union.
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/3 "2003-03-29T01:03:36Z")
That’s locally grown horse manure. All 50 states are states, in the only sense that matters. Putting “commonwealth” on the letterhead does not change the states’ legal standing, constitutional standing, or system of government. All states have a republic form of government (because it’s required by the Constitution), all states are called “states” in the Constitution, and the “commonwealths” have little or nothing in common that justifies singling them out.
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/4 "2003-03-29T01:08:54Z")
Even these “commonwealths” seem to realize this. [Kentucky’s website](http://kentucky.gov/) banner reads “The Offficial State Government Site for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/5 "2003-03-29T01:13:10Z")
[Another page](http://www.kdla.net/statelib/KYCommonwealth.htm) from Kentucky’s website:
> [@](#):
>
> When Kentucky joined the Union, the terms “commonwealth” and “state” were recognized by the U.S. government as being synonymous. There are four states in the United States that are titled commonwealths: Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The designation is an elected title deemed by the states’ legislatures. To be a commonwealth rather than a state grants no differences legally or economically.
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### Author:  [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/6 "2003-03-29T03:18:07Z")
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Massachusetts are commonwealths. Well, okay, those four states do call themselves commonwealths, but doing so obviously does not deprive them of statehood. A “commonwealth” was simply a term popular in the eighteenth century, particularly around the time of American independence, for describing a political community whose form of government was based on the consent of the governed.
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### Author:  [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/7 "2003-03-29T03:32:30Z")
Rhode Island is “Commonwealth of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/8 "2003-03-29T03:47:00Z")
The Master speaks: [Why is Virginia (and MA and PA and KY) called a commonwealth?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_307.html)
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### Author:  [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/9 "2003-03-29T04:42:22Z")
[
The “Republic of Texas” only existed from 1836 to 1845, when it became the “State of Texas” following its admission to the Union. \*\*
[/QUOTE]
Yeah but the only people who acknowledge that are not native Texans. They still think they are a seperate country…
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/10 "2003-03-29T05:08:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by aahala \*
> \*\*Rhode Island is “Commonwealth of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”. \*\*
Not commonwealth, but [State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations](http://www.state.ri.us/)
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/11 "2003-03-29T05:15:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by aahala \*
> \*\*Rhode Island is “Commonwealth of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”. \*\*
Nope. Having lived in Rhode Island for 7 years, I can tell you that it’s the [State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations](http://www.state.ri.us/). Smallest state; longest official name.
Oh, and **mipiace** , I’m also a native Texan. I even took Texas history in 7th grade. 😃
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/12 "2003-03-29T05:21:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bibliophage \*
> \*\*Not commonwealth, but [State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations](http://www.state.ri.us/) \*\*
Beaten to the punch. Stupid hamsters… :mad:
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### Author:  [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/13 "2003-03-29T05:39:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Northern Piper \*
> \*\*The Master speaks: [Why is Virginia (and MA and PA and KY) called a commonwealth?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_307.html) \*\*
The Master speaks and I heed.
Thanks,
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### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/14 "2003-03-29T17:46:56Z")
If you ever sit for the Virginia Bar, make sure you refer to it as the Commonwealth – if you call it a state the bar examiners get ticked off. 😉
–Cliffy
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### Author:  [@NameAlreadyTaken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NameAlreadyTaken)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/15 "2003-03-29T21:02:20Z")
With regards to the posts by **mipiace** and **bobby** , I seem to recall from my Texas state history class many years ago that the treaty of annexation that incorporated the Republic of Texas into the US had a clause allowing Texas to decide to break apart into smaller states if it so desired.
Of course, I can’t find a good reference for this and I may have been mislead by a 4th grade teacher (lots of years ago). Most hits on Google seem to point out numerous arguments about admitting Texas as one state, mulitiple states, a slave state, a free state, or even whether the US congress has the power to annex a foriegn country at all. So my guess is that I was slightly mislead, but that the issue of when and how Texas became part of the US was highly controversial at the time and probably still is, even if you aren’t a Texan. 😉
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### Author:  [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-states/164935/16 "2003-03-29T21:17:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by NameAlreadyTaken \*
> \*\*With regards to the posts by **mipiace** and **bobby** , I seem to recall from my Texas state history class many years ago that the treaty of annexation that incorporated the Republic of Texas into the US had a clause allowing Texas to decide to break apart into smaller states if it so desired.
>
> Of course, I can’t find a good reference for this and I may have been mislead by a 4th grade teacher (lots of years ago). Most hits on Google seem to point out numerous arguments about admitting Texas as one state, mulitiple states, a slave state, a free state, or even whether the US congress has the power to annex a foriegn country at all. So my guess is that I was slightly mislead, but that the issue of when and how Texas became part of the US was highly controversial at the time and probably still is, even if you aren’t a Texan. 😉 \*\*
This topic is covered at some length in the thread [Texas into 5 States?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159651&highlight=Texas)