The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is located in the New England region of northeastern U.S.A. It was the sixth state to join the Union, becoming a member on February 6, 1788. It is the forty-forth largest state in America by area and the thirteen most populous. Massachusetts is bordered by the states Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Its bordering body of water is the Atlantic Ocean. The major rivers are the Charles River, Connecticut River and Merrimack River and the major lake is the Quabbin Reservoir. The state capital and largest city is Boston. During the 18th century Boston became known, as the “Cradle of Liberty” for the campaigning that led to the American Revolution and Massachusetts was the first state to abolish slavery.
Massachusetts was named for an Algonquian Indian word that means “a big hill place”. It was given the nickname ‘Bay State’ because of its close proximity to several large bays. Massachusetts’ state bird is the Black-Capped Chickadee. The state flower is the Mayflower, which is also known as the ground laurel or trailing arbutus. The state flag was adopted in 1971. It has a plane white field. The center depicts a Native American carrying a bow and arrow inside of a blue shield. A white star on the shield represents Massachusetts, one of the original 13 states. In yellow print on a blue ribbon below the shield is the state motto “ENSE PETIT PLACIDAM SUB LIBERTATE QUIETEM”, meaning, “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty”. This motto is demonstrated above the shield from the illustration of an arm wielding a sword.
Prior to European arrival the Algonquian linguistic family inhabited the current state of Massachusetts. These people were dependent on hunting, fishing and gathering to survive. The first Europeans to reach the land were pilgrims, arriving in 1620. These pilgrims developed a friendly relationship with the native Wampanoag and both parties experienced a good life together in Massachusetts. However, this peace did not last long. In 1675-76, the King Philip’s War claimed the lives of many Native American’s and English colonist, becoming one of America’s bloodiest wars.
There was some tension between the British government and the colonists living in Boston. In 1773, the transpiring of the Boston Tea Party was a direct action by the colonist against the British Government. When officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and threw all the tea overboard into Boston Harbor.
It was during the nineteenth century that Massachusetts became a national and world leader in the Industrial Revolution. Having previously being primarily involved in agriculture, the state began to involve itself in power factories for textiles, shoes and furniture. However, it was during the Great Depression that the textile and shoe industries collapsed.
In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in America and the sixth country in the world to permit same-sex marriages.
The major industries in Massachusetts are textiles, electronics, publishing, education, tourism and fishing. The state has many agricultural outputs including dairy products cranberries and vegetables. Its other industrial outputs are scientific instruments, machinery and printing.
The climate in Massachusetts is quite peculiar for a small state. The entire state experiences cold winters and moderately warm summers. However, The Berkshires, located in the west, have both the coldest winters and the coolest summers. The warmest areas of the state are generally along the coastal sections.
The population of the state is 6.4 million with most living in the Boston metropolitan area. As of the year 2000, Massachusetts is the third most densely populated U.S. state. The eastern half of the state is made up of rural, urban and suburban areas, while the West is mostly rural. The majority of the population is Catholic and a large percentage of the people refused to answer to which religion they belong. Some other religions are Judaism, Baptist and Protestant.
Many significant historical figures have hailed from Massachusetts including:
• John Adams - he was the 2nd US President, serving from 1797 to 1801
• John Quincy Adams - he was the 6th US President, serving from 1825 to 1829
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy – he was the 35th U.S. President, serving from 1961 to 1963
• George Herbert Walker Bush - he was the 41st US President, serving from 1989 to 1993
Tourism is now quite popular in the state of Massachusetts owing to the numerous recreational areas and historical landmarks. The Berkshires, located in the western part of the state, features the Boston Symphony, art museums and Jacob’s Pillow, a world-renowned dance center. Cape Cod is also quite attractive owing to its beaches, summer theatres and an artists’ colony at Provincetown.
Source:
Wikipedia
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