The state of Massachusetts (USA) borders
New Hampshire and
Vermont to the north, New York to the west,
Connecticut and
Rhode Island to the south. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.
The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket lie off the
southeast coast. It is located in the Northeast region of the
country, New England division, bordering to the northwest with
Vermont, to the north with New Hampshire, to the east with the
Gulf of Maine (Atlantic Ocean), to the southeast with Rhode
Island, to the south with Connecticut and to the west with the
state of New York. With 27,336 km² it is the seventh smallest
state - ahead of Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, the smallest - and with
240 inhabitants/km², the fourth most densely populated, behind
New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It was admitted to the
Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state.
The state's
name derives from the plural of the word Massachusett meaning
"the great hill." The capital of Massachusetts is the city of
Boston, which is also the most populous city in New England.
More than 80% of the population of Massachusetts lives in the
Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region that influences
American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent
on agriculture, fishing, and commerce, Massachusetts was
transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial
Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts' economy
shifted from manufacturing to services. The state of
Massachusetts today is a world leader in biotechnology,
engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime commerce.
The state's governor is Maura Healey, and its members of the
senate are Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. The state is
internationally famous for the quality of its universities,
among which are Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Boston College, Boston University, the University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Northeastern University, Tufts
University or Suffolk University, and for its liberal arts
colleges, including Amherst College, Berklee College of Music,
Williams College and Clark University. It is also known for its
summer resorts in natural settings and its tourist
infrastructure. This quality is not exclusive to its famous Cape
Cod, but to many other places in New England.
Ten years
ago Massachusetts had the highest tax rate of any in the United
States, the state earning the nickname Taxachussetts. Today,
however, most American states have a higher tax rate than
Massachusetts.
Berkshire Hills
Berkshire County
Pioneer Valley
The Connecticut River Valley: Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire
Counties
Blackstone Valley
Central Massachusetts:
Worcester County and Northwest Middlesex County
North
coast
Cape Ann: Essex County and Northeast Middlesex County
Greater Boston
Norfolk and Suffolk counties and southern
Middlesex counties
south coast
Bristol and Plymouth
counties
cape cod
and offshore islands: Barnstable,
Dukes, and Nantucket counties
Magnificent historic city of Boston is one of the beautiful and unique cities in the United States.
Cambridge – home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
New Bedford
Worcester
Lowell
Springfield
Pittsfield
Plimoth Plantation is a museum of the original Plymouth Colony established on this spot in the 17th century by the first English colonists.
The greatest concentration of museums can be found in and around
Boston. Here are some museums further afield:
American Textile
History Museum, 491 Dutton St, Lowell. Museum with an exhibition on the
history of textile art.
The Art Complex Museum at Duxbury, 189 Alden
St, Duxbury. Art museum. Price: Admission free.
Battleship Cove, 5
Water St, Fall River. Considered the world's largest exhibition of
historic military ships.
Children's Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave,
North Easton. children's museum.
Hull Lifesaving Museum, 1117
Nantasket Ave, Hull. Museum with an exhibition on sea rescue.
Seekonk Grand Prix, 1098 Fall River Ave, Seekonk. Amusement park in a Massachusetts suburb of Providence, Rhode Island. Several go-kart tracks for drivers of different ages, bumper boats, bumper cars, mini golf and arcade. Not worth the detour (parks like this are ubiquitous in the US), but might be a fun diversion for travelers with kids who are already in Seekonk.
By Airplane.
The easiest way to get to eastern Massachusetts is
through Boston's Logan International Airport. To get to western
Massachusetts, it is easiest to use Bradley International Airport in
Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Bradley International Airport is 12 miles
south of Springfield (equidistant to Hartford, Connecticut).
Other regional airports include Worcester, Manchester, Providence,
Chicopee (Springfield), and Albany.
By Train.
Boston's South
Station is the northern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, the busiest
rail line in the country and one of the few routes that Amtrak serves
with high frequency. Trains from New York take about 3.5 hours to
Boston, and trains from Washington take about twice as long. The faster
Acela trains shave about an hour off these journeys and, although more
expensive, generally make the trip more enjoyable.
Boston's North
Station is served by the Downeaster to New Hampshire and Maine.
Springfield Union Station is Amtrak's regional intermodal hub, with
trains arriving and departing from the east, west, north, and south.
Amtrak's Northeast Regional Service, the Vermonter from north and south,
and the Lake Shore Limited from east and west.
Other cities in
western and central Massachusetts are also served by Amtrak, although
less frequently than Boston. Pittsfield, Worcester, and Framingham are
served from east to west by Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited.
Train
access is easy, but if you are traveling to Massachusetts from
Pennsylvania or further afield, it is cheaper and almost always quicker
to fly than to take the train (although with Lakeshore Limited service
from Chicago and all points in between, (often less than $100).
By Car.
Massachusetts is served by several large interstate highways,
including
Route 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike (or Massachusetts
Pike, or simply "the Pike"), the northernmost east-west interstate in
the United States, from Boston west to the New York-Massachusetts state
line via Worcester and Springfield.
Starting just south of Boston,
Route 93 passes under most of downtown (the famous "Big Dig") and heads
north into New Hampshire, crossing the Merrimack River at Andover.
The 91 follows the Connecticut River south through Greenfield,
Northampton, and Springfield, Massachusetts, and then south to New
Haven, Connecticut. To the north, it passes through the Vermont-New
Hampshire state line and through eastern Vermont into Canada.
Route
84's length within Massachusetts is very short. It originates on the
Mass Pike in Sturbridge and is the shortest route from most of
Massachusetts to Hartford and New York City.
Route 95, the main
north-south highway on the East Coast, enters Massachusetts at Attleboro
and heads to Boston. It goes around the city of Boston and connects the
western suburbs of Needham, Newton, Waltham, and Lexington. It then
heads north again through Woburn and Wakefield to New Hampshire and
Maine. The belt-like section of I-95 that encircles Boston is known
locally as "Route 128," and the designation "interstate" is rarely used
by local residents or traffic reporters.
Route 290 runs from I-495 in
Marlboro through downtown Worcester and ends at the Mass Pike in Auburn.
Route 395 is essentially the same road as I-290. South of Mass Pike,
I-395 continues south from Auburn to Webster and heads into Eastern
Connecticut, including the casino resorts of Mystic, New London, and
Connecticut.
I-190 is a short road connecting Worcester to Fitchburg
and Leominster in the north.
Route 495 forms a sort of "outer belt"
around Boston, beginning near the foot of Cape Cod, swinging westward
through Foxborough, Franklin, and Marlborough, then back northeast
through the Merrimack Valley to join I-95 near the New Hampshire border.
Route 195 connects Providence, Rhode Island, with the South Coast and
continues through Fall River and New Bedford to the base of Cape Cod.
Important non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include: U.S. Route
1, Route 20, State Route 2, U.S. Route/State Route 3, Route 9, Route 6,
and Route 24.
Use SmarTraveler to check traffic conditions in the
Metro Boston area.
Dial 511 on your cell phone to hear the latest
traffic conditions on all major highways.
By Bus
Many bus
companies offer service between Boston and New York City, from the
nationally famous Greyhound to the Springfield-based Peter Pan to the
smaller, less expensive "Chinatown bus.
Peter Pan Bus
Lucky
Star Bus operates between New York City's Chinatown and Boston's South
Station.
LimoLiner Luxury bus transportation offering professional
business services between New York City and Boston.
BoltBus operates
from New York, Newark, and Philadelphia to Boston.
Go Buses provides
service to New York City from Alewife Station in Cambridge and Riverside
Station in Newton.
Megabus provides service from New England and
Mid-Atlantic cities to Boston, Amherst, Holyoke, and Hyannis.
By Train
Amtrak provides service to many major cities.
Public transportation in and around Boston is operated by the Mass Bay
Transit Authority (MBTA), known as the "T". The southern suburbs are
served by Boston's South Station, and the northern suburbs are served by
Boston's North Station.
Public transit in and around Springfield
is called the PVTA; the PVTA extends north to the college towns of
Northampton and Amherst.
By Car
I-90 (also called the
Massachusetts Turnpike or simply the Mass Pike) is the main east-west
route across the state. Route 2 is more northerly, with some sections
through signalized urban areas.
Use of a GPS navigator is
strongly recommended. Massachusetts is one of the most difficult states
in the nation to navigate. Roads are curvy and it is easy to lose your
sense of direction.
On foot
Portions of the Appalachian Trail
run through the state.
By bicycle
There are a number of "rail
trails" in the state, converted rail lines, paved for pedestrians and
bicyclists. There are also designated "bikeways" along secondary roads.
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Hitchhiking on the highway is illegal, but there are
commercial rest stops every few miles on I-90. It is not too difficult
to hitchhike from these rest stops. Make a sign, stand in the parking
lot, and give the thumbs up to cars along the way. These rest stops are
quasi-private property, so buy something small, like a pack of gum, and
make yourself a paying customer.
By bus
Peter Pan and
Greyhound provide bus service to many towns in Massachusetts.
The
MBTA and 15 regional transit agencies (RTAs) provide transit service
throughout Massachusetts. Most regional transit agencies operate bus
routes on a hub-and-spoke model. Service is often quite infrequent.
Outside of the Boston, Worcester, and Springfield metropolitan areas,
smaller regional transit agencies often do not provide bus service on
Sundays, and some have discontinued evening and Saturday service.
Holyoke Mall, 50 Holyoke St, Holyoke. The Holyoke Mall is always a
top-class shopping experience. After shopping, you can comfortably go to
Springfield for a delicious Boston ale. Open: Mon - Sat 10 a.m. - 9.30
p.m., Sun 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Interstate 90 cuts beautifully across
Massachusetts and is a great way to drive from Boston to Lenox. In Lenox
there is a huge outlet mall where you can find branded clothing at very
reasonable prices.
The Massachusetts coast is blessed with delicious shellfish,
including lobsters, clams, and oysters. The New England clambake is in
many ways the Hawaiian equivalent of a luau. A hole is dug (sometimes in
the sand on the beach, but more often inland), stones are laid out, and
a fire is built. The coals are then covered with wet seaweed and
lobster, fish, clams, mussels, potatoes, ears of corn, etc. are placed
in the coals and steamed. More seaweed is then spread on top and covered
with a tarp for cooking.
The New England Boiled Dinner is the
contribution of Irish immigrants, many of whom live in the state. It is
a one-pot dish of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and sometimes
turnips. Horseradish, mustard, and sometimes vinegar are used as
condiments.
Massachusetts folks are serious about their clam
chowder. Many seaside towns host chowder festivals, where locals compete
for their pride and joy. Fried clams are another way to serve this
delicious shellfish, usually accompanied by French fries. Haddock and
cod are the star local fish, and a fish called "scrod" is often on the
menu. This is supposed to be young cod or haddock, but locals believe it
to be a common white fish. Bluefish is also worth a try, but some may
find it too flavorful. Another local game fish, striped horse mackerel,
has a much milder flavor.
Fast food in Massachusetts is also
often based on fish and various seafood products. There are also a
number of chain restaurants specializing in seafood.
In
Worcester's diverse population, home cooking from around the world can
be found in funky little restaurants tucked away in corners of the city.
Stylish Shrewsbury Street (near UMass Medical School) offers many trendy
new restaurants as well as classics.
Some of the best farmland in
Massachusetts is in the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River.
Residents from Springfield to Greenfield can enjoy local farmers'
markets year-round. This complements the diverse and international
dining scene 15 miles from Northampton-Amherst to Springfield.
Southeastern Massachusetts was once the world's largest producer of
cranberries. Large, flat, sandy marshes bearing colorful berries are
harvested in early October.
Inland, traditional New England
country cooking can be enjoyed, especially at country church suppers and
breakfast meetings. Typical dishes include spaghetti and meatballs,
roast chicken, baked beans, baking powder cookies, fruit pies, and
cobbler.
The rocky soils of eastern and western Massachusetts
produce two outstanding crops: tomatoes and apples. Orchards are still
mostly family-owned, and many growers offer pick-your-own sales. A cider
mill produces fresh cider, which is sold along with bags of apples at
roadside farm stands. On a crisp fall day, fresh cider is often sold
warmed with cinnamon, cloves, and other spices.
The age to purchase alcohol in the Commonwealth is 21; serving
alcohol to persons under 21 is prohibited; possession, consumption,
transportation, or purchase of alcohol by persons under 21 years of age
is prohibited; and the age to purchase alcohol is 21 years of age. In
most public places (sidewalks, parks, etc.), it is prohibited to open
containers containing alcohol, even if you are of legal drinking age.
Massachusetts enforces both the "blue law" and the drinking age more
strictly than any other state in the Commonwealth. Most bars, pubs, and
nightclubs in Boston have a city-mandated 21-and-over admission policy,
which is strictly enforced. In addition, many establishments in Boston
and Cape Cod do not serve out-of-state visitors under the age of 25.
Under state law, only a Massachusetts-issued identification card,
passport, or U.S. military ID is valid proof of age for liquor sales. If
you will be in the area for a while, try to obtain a Liquor ID, a state
ID card that can be used by non-residents at the Registry of Motor
Vehicles.
In Massachusetts, "third-party liability" cases are
controversial. For example, suppose a group of young people to whom a
landlord rents an apartment have a party and one of them drives drunk
and causes an accident. Under this "third-party liability," the
landlord, the party organizer, and the drunk driver could be held
liable. If a person under the age of 21 drinks in Massachusetts, unless
it is at a private party, he or she is out of luck.
Traditional
New England culture, dating back to the Pilgrims and Puritans, was far
from sober. A surprising amount of beer, wine, hard cider, and spirits
were consumed. Although the "blue code" once prohibited the purchase of
alcohol on Sundays, alcohol is still the center of socializing in both
the city and the countryside.
Microbreweries and brewpubs are
becoming common in urban and college towns. They usually offer
sandwiches and other casual fare along with a much better selection of
beers than mega-breweries.
Driving - Massachusetts drivers have a reputation for aggressive and
careless driving, including ignoring red lights and unpredictable lane
changes and direction changes. It is common to exceed the posted speed
limit by up to 20 mph (30 km/h) on highways and interstate highways. In
Massachusetts, it is common to drive at speeds that exceed the posted
speed limit by 20 mph (30 km/h), including running red lights and
carelessly changing lanes or directions. Contrary to popular belief,
Massachusetts drivers, despite being aggressive, are not all that bad.
Massachusetts has the lowest traffic fatality rate in the nation.
Massachusetts residents are used to tailgaters, speeders, and other
types of aggressive drivers and are not particularly upset. If you are
not used to this type of driving, it would be safer to avoid it. If you
must drive, pay more attention to the road and you will be fine.
Drinking is a widespread social activity, and you are likely to
encounter intoxicated drivers on evenings after work in working-class
neighborhoods and on Friday and Saturday evenings in college towns.
Many roads in Massachusetts were built to very old standards and are
narrow, winding, and congested, including some freeways. Massachusetts
is notorious for its poor road signage, although this has improved since
new regulations were introduced in the 2000s. It is important to note
that some state roads are marked with directions that are very far from
reality. For example, Route 28 on Cape Cod is consistently marked as
heading north from its terminus in Eastham, but geographically it heads
first south, then east, then south again, then west from there, and
finally turns north at Falmouth, about 50 miles from the start of the
route.
Winter driving is covered with snow and ice from December
through April. The roads are typically plowed and treated during the
winter months, but black ice can appear without warning, and during
nor'easters the plows cannot keep up. Similarly, in the fall,
rain-soaked fallen leaves become just as slippery as winter ice.
Deer are numerous, especially during the fall migration and breeding
season, which sometimes peaks on a moonlit night in November, and
vehicle-deer collisions are frequent. Collisions can occur not only in
suburban areas, but also in forests and along open fields. These animals
frequently leap high enough to break through windshields and swing their
hooves, endangering occupants.
In 1846, author Thoreau left
Walden Pond and traveled to Maine to observe moose. Moose are tall
enough to break through windshields in a collision and weigh about ½ ton
as adults, a potentially lethal combination for the occupants of a
vehicle. If you see a moose ahead of you, immediately slow down and be
prepared to stop. It is doubly fortunate to see such a large animal in a
densely populated state and avoid a collision.
Outdoors - Ticks
can carry Lyme disease unless promptly removed. If you walk in the
woods, grass, or tall grass, remove your clothing and look for flat
black bugs 1/8" to 1/4" in diameter. If they are already attached,
encourage them to release them by touching them with a hot object.
Getting lost in an overgrown forest is surprisingly easy, especially
during the short days of fall and winter. In unfamiliar areas, plan your
route before you set out. Carry a map, compass, whistle, and anything
else that can make a sound. Also carry extra clothing and high-calorie
snacks in case of emergency.
Crime - Statistically, Massachusetts
is one of the least violent states. However, some cities, such as
Springfield and Lawrence, have industries that have declined or
disappeared, and economic desperation has made crime career option.
Other cities have tough neighborhoods, usually with signs of street
trash, dilapidated homes, graffiti, and latticed windows. Towns with
particularly severe neighborhood violence problems include Haverhill,
Lynn, and Boston. In these areas, try to avoid walking or using public
transportation. Also, use paid parking and keep windows open and locked
while driving. Licensed cabs are usually the safest way to get around
these areas. Tough neighborhoods have a disproportionate number of
people with bad attitudes. Try not to "cross" them. Bicycle theft and
car theft are the most common types of crimes. Do not leave electronic
devices or valuables in your car where they can be seen. In urban areas,
bicycle thieves carry bolt cutters, so having a strong bicycle lock (a
U-shaped lock is best) is strongly recommended. Parking bicycles in
highly visible locations (especially if there are few tempting bicycles
around) greatly increases the risk of theft, rather than looking for
indoor parking.
Massachusetts, where Northampton and Provincetown are located, was
the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage and is
arguably the most LGBT-accepting state in the entire country. There are
numerous gay villages in smaller cities such as Boston and Springfield.
Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees (baseball), American football
(New England Patriots and New York Jets, plus the New York Giants). The
Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers (basketball) are also fierce
rivals. Finally, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens (field hockey)
have a long-standing rivalry. While wearing rival team merchandise is
generally met with only mild comments and jokes throughout New England,
it can lead to harassment and confrontations, especially before, during,
and after games in important sports. This is especially true of Yankees
merchandise. Also, be aware that wearing rival team merchandise in bars
and other casual settings can result in poor service and harassment from
other tables.
Massachusetts is the seventh smallest state in the United States,
located in the New England region in the northeast of the country, with
an area of 27,340 km². It is bordered to the north by New Hampshire and
Vermont, to the west by New York, to the west. south with Connecticut
and Rhode Island, and to the east with the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts
is the most populous state in New England.
Massachusetts is
nicknamed "The Bay State" because of several large bays that
distinctively shape its coastline: Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay to
the east; Buzzards Bay, to the south; and several cities and Mount Hope
Bay in which several towns are located on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island
border. In the southeastern part of the state there is a large sandy
arm-shaped peninsula, Cape Cod. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket are located south of Cape Cod, across the Nantucket Strait.
The state stretches from the Appalachian Mountains in the west to
the beaches and rocky shores of the Atlantic Coast in the east. The
central part of the state has rolling, rocky hills, while the west
encompasses a fertile valley and the mountains surrounding the
Connecticut River, as well as the Berkshire Mountains. The geographic
center of Massachusetts is located in the town of Rutland, in the center
of Worcester County.
Boston is the most populous city in
Massachusetts, located at the mouth of the Charles River, at the most
inland point of Massachusetts Bay. Eastern Massachusetts is fairly
densely populated and mostly suburban population. In the west lies the
Connecticut River Valley, a fairly even mix of urban (e.g., Springfield,
Northampton) and rural (Amherst, South Hadley) enclaves, and the
Berkshire Mountains (a branch of the Appalachians) that remain primarily
rural.
Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns. Each part of the
state is located within an incorporated city or town, but many cities
include large rural areas. The state's 14 counties have few government
functions and serve as little more than judicial districts.
The main biome of inland Massachusetts is the temperate deciduous
forest. Although much of the primary forest has been cleared for
agriculture, leaving only traces in isolated areas, the growth of
secondary forest has regenerated many rural areas, such as abandoned
farms. Forests currently cover about 62% of the state. Areas most
affected by human development include the Boston area in the east, the
Springfield metropolitan area in the west, and the primarily
agricultural Pioneer Valley. have become locally extinct over the last
few centuries includes the gray wolf, elk, wolverine, and cougar.
Several species are not endangered despite increasing urbanization
in Massachusetts. The peregrine falcon uses office buildings in large
cities as nesting areas, and the population of coyotes, whose diet can
include garbage and carrion, has been increasing in recent decades.
White-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys and the eastern gray squirrel
can also be found throughout Massachusetts. In the more rural areas of
the western part of the state, large mammals such as elk and black bears
have returned, largely due to reforestation following the decline of the
regional agriculture.
Massachusetts is located on the North
Atlantic Flyway, a migratory route for waterfowl along the Atlantic
coast. Lakes in the center of the state provide habitat for the greater
loon, especially Quabbin Reservoir, while a significant population
Long-tailed ducks winter off Nantucket. Small islands and beaches are
home to the roseate tern and are important breeding grounds for the
threatened piping puffin. Protected areas such as the Monomoy Island
National Wildlife Refuge provide breeding habitat for critically
endangered shorebirds and a variety of marine fauna including a large
population of gray seals.
Freshwater fish species in
Massachusetts include bass, carp, catfish, and trout, while saltwater
species such as cod, haddock, and American lobster populate marine
waters. Other marine species such as endangered harbor seals , right
whales, as well as humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales and
Atlantic dolphins.
The oldest human traces date back to around 10,500
BC. At that time, Massachusetts was south of the North American ice
sheet, which was breaking up at the end of the Ice Age. Around 8000 BC
the megafauna disappeared and the Paleo-Indian cultures were succeeded
by the archaic ones. A distinction is made between three phases, namely
the early, middle and late phase, the limits of which are around 6000
and 4000 BC. The late phase extends to about 1500 BC.
The
earliest traces of settlement in the urban area of Boston are those from
around 5000 BC.
When the first Europeans came to the region,
numerous tribes of the Algonquian language group lived along the coast
and inland, such as the Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nauset, Nantucket,
Pennacook, Pokanoket and Pocasset. South-central Massachusetts was home
to the Mohegan, who included the Nipmuck and Pequot, while west was home
to the Mohican, who included the Pocumtuc. Today only the Wampanoag are
recognized as a tribe, but there are also five other tribes: the
Chappaquiddick Tribe of the Wampanoag Indian Nation around Andover, the
Chappiquiddic Band of Massachuset around Pocasset, the Cowasuck Band of
the Pennacook-Abenaki People around Franklin, the Hassanamisco Nipmuc
Tribe in the Hassanamisco Reservation and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Mashpee.
Samuel de Champlain met
the Nauset on Cape Cod in 1606. Captain Thomas Hunt captured seven
Nauset and twenty Patuxet in 1614 and sold them as slaves. The Nauset
were initially hostile to the Europeans, but soon allied with them and
became Christians. Mooney estimated in 1928 that there were around 1200
Nauset in 1605. In 1621 there were still around 500 and in 1674 there
were still 462 Nauset. They gathered in Mashpee, where they live to this
day.
In 1614, John Smith was the first European to sail the
region. In 1617 the Massachuset, whose number Mooney estimated at 3,000
in 1628, fell victim to a severe epidemic; at the same time they were at
war with their northeastern neighbors. In 1631 they numbered only 500
members. The approximately 500 Nipmuck allied themselves in 1675 in the
King Philip's War against the colonists; they then had to flee to the
Hudson River or to Canada. So did the Pocumtuc, who fled north, and the
Pennacook. Beginning in 1675, Native Americans were barred from entering
Boston by a law that was not repealed until 2005.
In 1620 the English founded the Plymouth Colony in the southeast of
what later became the state, which existed until 1691. Nine years later,
the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by English Puritans. In 1630
another Puritan group founded Boston. The two resulting colonies were
united in 1691.
Especially John Eliot (1604-1690) drove the
mission among the Indians. They were collected in separate villages, but
there they fell victim to diseases introduced by Europeans. Only the
descendants of Punkapog live in Canton, Mattapan and Mansfield to this
day. For the Housatonic, a tribe of the Mahican, who was allied both
with the rebellious colonies against the British colonial power and
previously with them against the French, Stockbridge was built in
western Massachusetts in 1739, where a mission station existed;
nevertheless, they were later resettled in upstate New York.
From
the 18th century
Massachusetts was one of the thirteen colonies that
rebelled against British rule during the American Revolution. In 1780,
the Massachusetts Constitution was passed, which is still in effect
today and is one of the oldest modern constitutions in the world. Around
1800, around 1100 African Americans lived in Boston, making them the
largest closed group in North America. The Black Heritage Trail was
established to commemorate them. In 1781, the black slave Mum Bett sued
for his release and won the case on the basis of the constitution. She
changed her name to Elizabeth Freeman.
In the 18th and early 19th
centuries, Massachusetts' economy benefited primarily from whaling off
the island of Nantucket and the cities of New Bedford and Salem, as well
as from the cod fisheries, the world's best fishing grounds at the time
lying offshore there. Numerous representations and symbols of this fish
on coins and as architectural decorations in the capital Boston testify
to this. In particular, the Sacred Cod of Massachusetts, a carved cod in
the Massachusetts House of Representatives, points to this tradition.
The state of Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, although it
was not directly contiguous. The reason for the split was Missouri's
application for admission to the United States. Since this would have
tipped the 11:11 balance between pro-slavery and anti-slavery, the
Missouri Compromise agreed that Maine was separated and incorporated as
a non-slavery state.
During the 19th century Massachusetts became
the leading state for the progress of the Industrial Revolution.
Numerous factories were built here, producing textiles, paper, tools and
shoes. Before the Civil War, Massachusetts was one of the most
progressive states on the abolition of slavery. Henry David Thoreau and
Ralph Waldo Emerson were among the leading American thinkers.
Massachusetts was the first state to field a black regiment during the
Civil War, the legendary 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry under
Robert Gould Shaw. The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common
commemorates the 54th Regiment.
In the late 19th century, the
Boston and Springfield area industrialized, bringing many workers, b. a.
of Irish and Italian descent, offered work that greatly changed the
composition of the population. The Great Depression of 1929 hit
Massachusetts hard. The Kennedy family of Massachusetts played an
important role in American diplomacy and politics. Its most important
representatives were Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F.
Kennedy, Ted Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special
Olympics.
In 1987, work began on the Big Dig, a costly transportation project in Boston.
The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of
Massachusetts was 6,646,144 on July 1, 2012, an increase of 1.5% since
the 2010 census. With 809.8 people per square kilometer in the year As
of 2000, Massachusetts was the third most densely populated state in the
country, behind New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Most residents live
within the Boston metropolitan area, also known as Greater Boston, which
in its broadest sense includes two large New England cities, Boston and
Worcester. The Springfield metropolitan area located in the Connecticut
River Valley, also known as Greater Springfield, is the second major
metropolitan area in the state, includes the revitalization of the city
of Springfield, and an eclectic variety of college towns (e.g., Amherst
and Northampton) and rural areas in the north and west of the state. The
geographic center of population is in the city of Natick.
Like
the rest of the northeastern United States, Massachusetts' population
has continued to grow in recent decades, although at a slower rate than
states in the South or West. The latest census estimates show that
Massachusetts' population grew 3.9% since 2000, compared to nearly 10%
nationally. In their decision to leave Massachusetts, longtime residents
cite high housing costs and a high cost of living. Another factor has
been the transformation from an industrial economy to one based on high
technology, leaving few employment options for less qualified workers,
especially men.
Foreign immigration offsets these losses, causing
the state's population to continue growing as of the 2010 census
(especially in cities where the costs of living are lower). According to
a study by the Census Bureau in 2005, 40% of foreign immigrants come
from Central or South America. Many areas of the state showed relatively
stable population trends between 2000 and 2010. The Boston suburbs and
coastal areas grew the fastest, while Berkshire County in the west and
Barnstable County on Cape Cod were the only counties that showed a
decline in population starting in 2010. In 2005, 79% of the state's
population spoke English, 7% Spanish, 3.5% Portuguese, and 1% French or
Chinese.
According to the 2010 census, the population was 6,547,629
inhabitants, of which 3,166,628 (48.4%) were men and 3,381,001 (51.6%)
were women. Regarding age, 78.3% were over 18 years of age and 13.8%
were over 65 years of age, with an average age of 39.1 years. The
average age for men is 37.7 years and 40.3 years for women.
Regarding race and ethnicity it was:
84.1% white (76.4% non-Hispanic
white)
7.8% African Americans
0.5% American Indian or Alaska
Native
5.6% Asian (1.9% Chinese, 1.2% Indian and 0.7% Vietnamese)
0.1% Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
4.7% other races
Hispanics or Latinos of any nationality make up 9.9% of the
population.
Non-Hispanic whites are the most populous ethnic
group in the state, this group has decreased from 95.4% in 1970 to 76.4%
in 2011.6163 As of 2011, they accounted for 63.6% of all births. 64
As late as 1795, almost 95% of the population of Massachusetts was of
English descent. In the early and mid-19th century, groups of
immigrants from Ireland began to arrive in large numbers. The Irish are
the largest group in the state , with almost 25% of the total
population. Other groups later arrived from Quebec, as well as from
other places in Europe, such as Italy and Poland. In the early 20th
century, a number of African Americans immigrated to Massachusetts,
although in smaller numbers compared to other northern states. Later in
In the 20th century, immigration from Latin America, Africa, and East
Asia increased considerably. Massachusetts has the third largest
population of Haitians in the United States.
Massachusetts also
has a relatively large population of Portuguese. Many of the first
Portuguese-speaking immigrants came from the Azores in the 19th century,
to work in the whaling industry, in cities such as New Bedford. More
waves later arrived, this time to work in the textile industry. Lowell
is home to the second largest Cambodian (Khmer) community in the
country. The Wampanoag tribe maintains reservations at Aquinnah on
Martha's Vineyard, Grafton, and Mashpee on Cape Cod, while the Nipmuck
maintain two recognized state reservations in the central part of the
state. Although Massachusetts avoided many of the more violent forms of
racial strife seen elsewhere in the United States, examples such as the
projections of nativist (mainly anti-Catholic) Know Nothing electoral
success in the decade of the controversial executions of Sacco and
Vanzetti in The 1920s, and Boston's opposition to desegregation of
school transportation in the 1970s, show that Massachusetts's ethnic
history was not entirely harmonious.
Massachusetts was founded and established by Puritans in the 17th
century, but today their descendants belong to very diverse Churches. In
the direct line of inheritance are the congregational United Church of
Christ and Unitarian Universalists. Both denominations are characterized
by their strong support of social justice, civil rights and moral
issues, such as the abolition of slavery, the strong defense of women's
rights and, after 2000, the legal recognition of marriage of people of
the same sex.
The world headquarters of the Unitarian
Universalist Church is located on Beacon Hill in Boston. Today
Protestants represent less than a quarter of the State's population.
Catholics now predominate due to mass immigration from Ireland, Quebec,
Italy, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. A large
Jewish population arrived in the 1880s–1920s from the Boston area. In
1879 in the city of Boston the Church of Christ, Scientist, commonly
called the Christian Science church, was founded. Buddhists, pagans,
Hindus, Seventh-day Adventists, Muslims and Mormons can also be found.
Kripalu and Insight Meditation Center (Barre) are examples of religious
centers in Massachusetts.
According to the Single Association of
Religion Data Archives, the denominations with the most members are the
Catholic Church, with 3,092,296, the United Church of Christ, with
121,826, and the Episcopal Church with 98,963 adherents, while Jewish
congregations had approximately 275,000 members.
Religion 2019
Protestants - 23%
Catholics - 34%,
Orthodox Christians - 1%
Other religions - 9%
No religion - 33%
Population by religion
Catholics - 2,380,358
Protestants - 1,610,242
Orthodox Christians
- 70,001
Other religions - 630,094
Without religion - 2,310,347
The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that
Massachusetts' gross domestic product in 2008 was $365 billion. Per
capita income was $50,735, the third highest in the nation. 13 Fortune
Companies 500 are located in the state, of which the largest are Liberty
Mutual Insurance Company Group of Boston and MassMutual of Springfield.
CNBC's "Top States for Business for 2010" list recognized Massachusetts
as the fifth best in the nation.
Sectors vital to the economy
include higher education, biotechnology, finance, health and tourism.
High tech remains an important sector, although few of the largest
technology companies are based there. In recent years tourism has played
an increasingly important role in the state's economy, with Boston and
Cape Cod being the main destinations. Especially in summer, the islands
of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are important tourist destinations,
the former being the favorite place of former presidents Clinton and
Obama. Other popular tourist destinations include Salem, Plymouth and
the Berkshires. In June 2012 the state unemployment rate was 6.0%, well
below the national level of 8.2%.
As of 2005, there were 7,700
farms in Massachusetts covering a total of 2,100 km², averaging 0.28 km²
each. Nearly 2,300 of the 6,100 farms in the state raised less than
$2,500 in 2007. Certain notable agricultural products include tobacco,
livestock, fruits, nuts, and berries. It is also the second-largest
cranberry-producing state in the union (after of Wisconsin).
The Massachusetts constitution was written by John Adams and passed in 1780, while the Revolutionary War was still going on; four years after the Articles of Confederation were approved and eight years before the Constitution of the United States was ratified, on June 21, 1788. It is currently the oldest written constitution in continuous force in the world. It has been modified 120 times, the last in 2000.
Massachusetts is known for its progressive politics; It is a bastion
of American liberalism and the Democratic Party. In a 2018 Gallup poll,
Massachusetts was the state with the highest percentage of its
population identifying as liberal and the lowest percentage identifying
as conservative, at 35% and 21% respectively.
Since the 2010
census, the state is responsible for electing 9 representatives.
Democrats have complete control over Massachusetts' congressional
delegation; That is, there are no Republicans elected by the state to
serve at the federal level. Both the 2 senators and the 9
representatives are Democrats. Only one Republican (former Senator Scott
Brown) has been elected by the state to either house of Congress, since
1994. Massachusetts is the most populous state that is represented in
the United States Congress entirely by a single party. .
he head of the state executive is the governor, although there are
also other executive officials who are not under the control of the
governor. The constitution states that certain officials are elected
separately. Some public services or independent agencies are created by
special laws and the governor exercises only indirect control over them,
through appointments. The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney
general, secretary of state, state auditor, and treasurer general are
separately elected officials.
The governor is elected for a
4-year term, as is the lieutenant governor. From 1780 to 1918 the
position was elected annually and between 1918 and 1964, every 2 years.
In 1966, the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were
allowed to be on the same ballot; to ensure they were from the same
party.
There is also a Governor's Council, which consists of
eight members, elected by districts every two years. The council
provides advice and consent for judicial appointments, appointment of
certain public officials, including notaries public and justices of the
peace, pardons and commutations of sentences, and authorizes certain
payments from the state treasury. The governor presides over the council
without the right to vote, and in his absence, by the lieutenant
governor.
The governor has a cabinet of eleven secretaries, who
oversee state agencies, which are under the governor's direct control.
Nine of the secretaries preside over the executive office of their
respective areas.
The current governor is Democrat Maura Healey.
The state legislature is formally known as the Massachusetts General
Court, reflecting its colonial-era judicial duties. It has two chambers:
the Senate with 40 members and the House of Representatives with 160
members. Members of both chambers have two-year terms. Each chamber
elects its presidents.
The general court is responsible for
enacting the laws of the state. A bill becomes law when it is approved
by both chambers and the governor; or if he has vetoed it, if it is
approved by two-thirds of both chambers. The laws are published in a
bulletin of Massachusetts laws and rulings, which are codified.
The judiciary interprets and applies state law, ensures equality
before the law, and provides a mechanism for dispute resolution. The
Massachusetts court system consists of the Supreme Judicial Court, the
Court of Appeals, and trial courts.
The supreme judicial court
oversees the judicial system. It is composed of a president and 6
associate judges, appointed by the governor, with the consent of the
governor's council. In addition to its appellate functions, the supreme
judicial court is responsible for the governance of the judicial system
and the bar, establishes (or approves) the rules for the operation of
the courts, and, upon request, provides advisory opinions to the
governor and the legislature. on legal matters. This court also oversees
affiliated judicial agencies, including the Board of Bar Supervisors,
Board of Bar Examiners, Client Safety Board, Mental Health Legal
Advisory Committee, and Correctional Legal Services.
There is
also a state court of appeals, composed of 25 members, and numerous
trial courts.
Massachusetts is divided into 14 counties. Of these, five have
self-government (Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes County, Norfolk, Plymouth)
and two have Nantucket and Suffolk combined city-county government.
Despite this distribution, legal and judicial distinctions are preserved
between the counties, considered different geographical entities,
although not at the political level.
Barnstable,
Berkshire,
Bristol board,
dukes,
Essex,
Franklin,
Hampden,
Hampshire,
Middlesex,
Nantucket,
Norfolk,
plymouth,
Suffolk
Worcester.
Basketball and volleyball are sports that were invented in
Massachusetts. The state has professional teams in the four major
leagues: the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball is the team with
the most championships in this century with four (2004, 2007, 2013,
2018), the New England Patriots of National Football League winners of
the Super Bowl in 2017 and runners-up a year later, the Boston Celtics
of the National Basketball Association, and the Boston Bruins of the
National Hockey League. All of them have achieved multiple national
titles, in particular the Celtics, who together with the Los Angeles
Lakers lead the history of the NBA, with 17 championships. For its part,
the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer has been runner-up
five times.
In American college football, the Boston College
Eagles have won a championship in the Big East Conference and won the
Sugar Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, while the Harvard Crimson were national
champions eight times between 1875 and 1919. In college basketball, the
Holy Cross The Crusaders were NCAA champions and the Boston College
Eagles reached the quarterfinals three times.
The Boston Marathon
is one of the most prestigious in the world, and has been held since
1897.
The Country Club of Brookline was one of those that founded
the United States Golf Association, and hosted the US Open and the Ryder
Cup. Meanwhile, the Deutsche Bank Championship has been held since 2003
at the TPC in Boston.