Massachusetts: Encyclopedia - Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the United States of America.

Massachusetts - Name

Massachusetts - Mass-adchu-et

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, whose name can be segmented as mass-adchu-et, where mass is "great", adchu is "hill" and et is a locative suffix. It has been translated as "at the great hill," "at the place of large hills," or "at the range of hills," with reference to the Blue Hills, or in particular, Great Blue Hill, located on the boundary of Milton and Canton, to the southwest of Boston.

Massachusetts - Commonwealth

Massachusetts officially designates itself a "commonwealth." Colloquially, it is often refered to simply as "the Commonwealth," although "state" is used interchangeably.

Massachusetts - Geography

Massachusetts is bordered on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, on the west by New York, on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. At the southeastern corner of the state is a large, sandy, arm-shaped peninsula called Cape Cod. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket lie to the south of Cape Cod.

Massachusetts is known as the Bay State because of the several large bays that give its coastline its distinctive shape: Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay on the state's east coast, and Buzzards Bay to the south. A few cities and towns on the Massachusetts–Rhode Island border are also adjacent to Narragansett Bay.

Boston is the largest city, located at the inmost point of Massachusetts Bay, at the mouth of the Charles River, the longest river entirely within Massachusetts. Most of the population of the Boston metropolitan area (approximately 5,800,000) does not live in the city; eastern Massachusetts on the whole is fairly densely populated and largely suburban. Western Massachusetts is more rural and sparsely populated, especially in the Berkshires, the branch of the Appalachian Mountains which forms the western border of the state. The most populated part of western Massachusetts is the "Pioneer Valley," alongside the Connecticut River, which flows across Western Massachusetts from north to south.

See the main article History of Massachusetts

Massachusetts - History

Massachusetts - Early settlement

Various Algonquin tribes inhabited the area prior to European settlement. In the Massachusetts Bay area resided the Massachusett. Near the Vermont and New Hampshire borders and the Merrimack River valley was the traditional home of the Pennacook tribe. Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and southeast Massachusetts were the home of the Wampanoag, whom the Pilgrims met. The extreme end of the Cape was inhabited by the closely related Nauset tribe. Much of the central portion and the Connecticut River valley was home to the loosely organized Nipmuc peoples. The Berkshires were the home of both the Pocomtuc and the Mahican tribes.

All the Indians on the coast of New England, were heavily decimated by waves of smallpox brought by sailors and traders before the settlers arrived. By the time the Puritans arrived, Massachusetts was lightly populated.

Massachusetts - Europeans: Pilgrims Puritans and Yankees 1620-1686

The Pilgrims comprised a small English religious sect that moved first to Holland then to Plymouth in 1620, They arrived on the Mayflower on which they set up a government by the Mayflower compact. The first years were hard, with 30-50% death rates. The Wampanoags gave them food and in 1621 they celebrated their first Thanksgiving Day together to thank God for their survival.

A much larger flow of settlers were the Puritans, who were religious refugees from the civil wars in England. Their base was Boston, the seat of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their leader was John Winthrop (1587-1649), a well-educated minister who led 700 settlers in the [[1]] to Boston in 1630, Thousands more followed, Winthrop was repeatedly reelected governor by the voters (all adult male church members). He is best remembered for his "City on a Hill" sermon that declared the Puritan colonists were members of a special compact with God to create a holy community that would serve as a model of holiness to England and the world. Besides their small cities, the English settlers built small compact villages, leaving alone vast stretches of the state. They did not build isolated farms of the sort typical in the southern colonies, and they avoided the frontier. One legend says the Indians called them the Yengeeze, their pronunciation of English, which became yankee. The Puritans came to Massachusetts for religious purification and would not tolerate impure religion. Pilgrims, as well as Anglicans, Quakers, and a handful of other denominations were grudgingly accepted in the Puritan communities for a time. Then Quakers were banned, and in 1660 four were hanged in Boston Common. Other dissenters such as Anne Hutchinson, Roger Williams, and Thomas Hooker left Massachusetts; Williams founded Rhode Island and Hooker founded Connecticut.

Racial tensions led to King Philip's War (1675-76), the bloodiest Indian war of the early colonial period.

Massachusetts - Colonial Maturity 1686-1765

In May 1686, the Massachusetts Bay Colony lost its royal charter and King James II appointed a President of New England. After James II was overthrown the colonials overthrew his officials. Massachusetts Bay Colony absorbed the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in 1691. The most famous episode was the Salem Witch Trials in which 25 people were executed. The Puritans found Harvard Colleges in 1638 in order to provide a well-educated clergy. The Puritan religion slowly transformed into Congregationalism, andthe Puritans became known as "Yankees" by 1700. By the 1750s many merchants and government officials were Anglican, and increasing numbers of farmers were Baptists or Methodists. By 1800, Harvard's faculty were Unitarians and pious Congregationalists founded Williams College.

The state played a major role in French and Indian Wars. Its frontier villages were raided by Indian parties (commanded by French officers). They kidnapped or killed the hostages; the first serious literature was captivity narratives such as the one by Mary Rowlandson. The colony had a stong maritime tradition and captured the major French naval base of Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia in 1745. Notable governors during this period were William Shirley, Thomas Hutchinson, Francis Bernard, and General Thomas Gage.

Massachusetts - Revolutionary Massachusetts 1765-1780

Boston was the center of revolutionary activity in the decade before 1775, with Samuel Adams the leading patriot. The British sent in troops which escalated tensions. On March 5, 1770, 5 protestors were shot by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre. Massachusetts was the first colony to revolt against the Crown, and thus the instigator of the American Revolution. On February 9, 1775, the British Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in rebellion, and sent additional troops to restore order to the colony.

Several early Revolutionary battles took place in Massachusetts, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord (where the famous shot heard 'round the world was fired), the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. After Lexington militia swarmed to Boston, surrounding the British in the city. General George Washington soon took charge, and when he acquired cannon in spring 1776, the British were forced to leave, marking the first great American victory of the war. This was the last fighting in the state but the Massachusetts state navy did manage to get itself destroyed by the British fleet.

Massachusetts - Federalist Era 1780-1815

A Constitutional Convention drew up a Constitution of the Commonwealth drafted mainly by John Adams, and the people ratified it in 1780. After the Shays rebellion by farmers in the western part of the state was put down, the state joined the rush to form a stronger national government. The new Federalist party dominated politics; the state supported Washington and Adams. The economy was badly hit by Jefferson's Embargo in 1808, cutting off foreign trade. The War of 1812 was strongly opposed in New England. Its effects were a sharp depression, an end to foreign trade, some smuggling with Canada, a sharp growth in local manufacturing, and the threat of secession at the 1815 Hartford Convention. After the war ended, the Federalists faded away.

Massachusetts - Leader in industrialization 1815-1860

Massachusetts became a national and world leader in industrialization, with its mastery of machine tools. Boston capital funded textile mills in many towns; the new textile cities of Lowell and Lawrence were founded. Mill owners, after rejecting the Lowell girls (young Yankee women) brought in Irish and French Canadian workers. Industrial cities, especially Worcester and Springfield became world leaders in machinery. Boston did not have factories, but it became increasingly important as the transportation hub of all of New England, as well as a national leader in finance, law, medicine, learning, and publishing. Horace Mann made the state system of schools the national model. The state made its mark in Washington with such political leaders as Daniel Webster and Charles Sumner. The state led the country in support for abolitionism.

Massachusetts - Civil War and Gilded Age 1860-1900

Massachusetts was among the first states to respond to President Lincoln's call for troops. Massachusetts was the first state to recruit, train and arm a black regiment, with white officers, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

Massachusetts - Prosperity decades 1900-1929

Massachusetts - Depression and war 1929-1945

Massachusetts - Economic changes: decline of manufacturing 1945-1980

Massachusetts - Modern economy and society 1980-2006

For bibliography see the main article History of Massachusetts

Massachusetts - Other notable history

• Battles of the American Revolution - Battles of Lexington and Concord, Siege of Boston, Battle of Bunker Hill.
• Shays' Rebellion - Western Massachusetts uprising after the Revolution.
• First Governor of the Commonwealth - John Hancock was the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• U.S. Constitution - On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
• Slavery - According to a 1790 census, Massachusetts had a zero population of slaves.
• District of Maine - On March 15, 1820, Maine was separated from Massachusetts, of which it had been a non-contiguous part, and entered the Union as the 23rd State. (See Missouri Compromise)
• Massachusetts contains many historic houses.
• Invention of sports:

• Basketball was invented in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Volleyball was invented in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• The earliest reference to Baseball was also in Massachusetts, in Pittsfield.

Massachusetts - Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Massachusetts's total state product in 2003 was $297 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $39,504, making the state the 4^th wealthiest in the nation.

Its agricultural outputs are seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, cranberries, and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electric equipment, scientific instruments, printing, and publishing. Thanks largely to the Ocean Spray cooperative, Massachusetts is the second largest cranberry producing state in the union (after Wisconsin). Other sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include higher education, health care, financial services and tourism.

Massachusetts - Demographics

Massachusetts - Population

The population of Massachusetts in 2004 was 6,416,505 according to the US Census Bureau. There were 881,400 foreign-born residents living in the state in 2004. Since 1990 the population has increased 400,000, a growth of 6.7%

The bulk of the state's population surrounds Greater Boston, with approximately 5,800,000 people, and the North and South Shores. Historically, the coast has been much more urban than Western Massachusetts, which is very rural, save for the cities of Springfield and Worcester.

Massachusetts - Race and Ancestry

The racial makeup of Massachusetts:

• 81.9% White
• 6.8% Hispanic
• 5.4% Black
• 3.8% Asian
• 0.2% Native American
• 2.3% Mixed race

The five largest reported ancestries in Massachusetts are: Irish (22.5%), Italian (13.5%), English (11.4%), French (8%), German (5.9%).

Massachusetts is the most Irish state in the nation and the only state in which people of Irish ancestry (especially in the Boston suburbs) are a plurality. Massachusetts Yankees of colonial English ancestry still have strong presence in the small towns. Franco-Bay Staters are the largest group in much of western and central Massachusetts. Boston has a large African-American population and its largest immigrant group is Haitians. Fall River and New Bedford on the south coast have large populations of people with Portuguese and Brazilian heritages, with a growing Brazilian population in the Boston area. Lowell, in the northeast of the state, is home to the second largest Cambodian (Khmer) community in the country, outside of Long Beach, California. Although most of the Native Americans intermarried or died out, the Wampanoag tribe maintains a small reservation at Aquinnah, on Martha's Vineyard and a non-recognized reservation at Mashpee. The Nipmuck maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state.

Massachusetts - Religion

Massachusetts was initially founded and settled by staunch Puritans in the 17th century and remained a majority-Yankee state for most of its history. Today Protestants make up less than one-third of the state's population, but have a prominent role in finance, big business, the arts, education, and cultural institutions. Catholics now predominate due to massive immigration from Ireland, Quebec, Italy, Portugal, and Puerto Rico. A large Jewish population came to the Boston area 1880-1920. Mary Baker Eddy made the Boston Mother Church of Christian Science the world headquarters. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the Congregational/United Church of Christ and Unitarian-Universalist churches. Both of these denominations are noted for their strong support of social justice, civil rights, and moral issues, including strong and early advocacy of abolition of slavery, women's liberation, and (after 2000) legal recognition of gay marriage.

The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts (as of 2001) are shown in the table below:

• Christian – 79%
  • Catholic – 47%
  • Protestant – 31%
    • Congregational/United Church of Christ – 4%
    • Baptist – 4%
    • Episcopal – 3%
    • Methodist – 2%
    • Pentecostal – 2%
    • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 16%
  • Other Christian – 1%
• Jewish – 2%
• Unitarian – 1%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 17%

Massachusetts - Government

The capital of Massachusetts is Boston and the current governor is His Excellency Mitt Romney (Republican). All governors of Massachusetts are given the title His Excellency, a carry-over from the Commonwealth's British past, despite titles being uncommon in American political traditions. The state does not maintain an official governor's residence. Massachusetts's two U.S. senators are Edward Kennedy (Democrat) and John Kerry (Democrat); as of the 2001 redistricting, Massachusetts has ten seats in the United States House of Representatives (all Democratic), giving Massachusetts the largest one-party delegation in Congress (i.e. twelve Democrats). The state legislature is formally styled the "Great and General Court" and is manned mostly by Democrats; the highest court is the "Supreme Judicial Court."

Massachusetts - Legal holidays observed

Whenever a holiday falls on a Sunday it is observed on the following Monday.

* Celebrated only in Suffolk County (Boston, Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop) and the city of Somerville.

Massachusetts - Politics

Massachusetts - Banned in Boston

During the first half of the 1900s Boston was socially conservative, and strongly under the influence of Methodist minister J. Frank Chase and his New England Watch and Ward Society, founded in 1878. In 1903, the Old Corner Bookstore was raided and fined for selling Boccaccio's Decameron. Howard Johnson's got its start when Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude was banned in Boston, and the production had to be moved to Quincy. In 1927, works by Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and Sherwood Anderson were removed from bookstore shelves. "Banned in Boston" on a book's cover could actually boost sales. Burlesque artists such as Sally Rand needed to modify their act when performing at Boston's Old Howard. The clean version of a performance used to be known as the "Boston version." By 1929, the Watch and Ward society was perceived to be in decline when it failed in its attempt to ban Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, but as late as 1935 it succeeded in banning Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour. Censorship was enforced by city officials, notably the "city censor" within the Boston Licensing Division. That position was held by Richard J. Sinnott from 1959 until the office was abolished on March 2, 1982. In modern times, few of such puritanical social mores persist.

Massachusetts - Liberal reputation

Massachusetts has since gained a reputation as being a politically liberal state, and is often used as an archetype of liberalism in the U.S. These liberal tendencies of Massachusetts extend throughout American history: in the 19th century, Massachusetts was a center of abolitionism, having been the first state to abolish slavery by law. During the Colonial period, Massachusetts was one of the leading states in the fight for independence.

Massachusetts is the home of the Kennedy family of political fame, and routinely votes for the Democratic Party in federal elections. As of 2005, it is by far the largest U.S. state represented by only one party in the U.S. Congress. Although Republicans have held the governor's office continuously since 1991, many of these (especially William Weld, the first of the recent lineage of Republican governors) are considered among the most liberal Republicans in the nation. Two of these governors, Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift took office when their predecessors resigned to take other positions.

In presidential elections, Massachusetts supported Republicans until 1912, from 1916 through 1924, in the 1950s, and in 1980 and 1984. From 1988 through 2004, Massachusetts has supported Democratic presidential candidates, giving native son John Kerry his largest margin of victory among states with a 25 percentage point margin and 61.9% of the vote. Every county in the Commonwealth supported the Democratic candidate.

Massachusetts - Defamation of the Commonwealth

In 2002, Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania partially blamed the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal on Boston saying "...it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm." These remarks resurfaced in July of 2005 when an editorial in the Boston Globe republished Santorum's comments. Although he was heavily criticized for his remarks, Santorum not only refused to apologize, but, on August 1, 2005 he complained that Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts "did nothing" about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in 2002. "They spoke nothing. They sat by and let this happen," Santorum said.

During the 2004 Presidential Election, Massachusetts was the target of many GOP regionalist attacks along the campaign trail. When informed that the Democratic National Convention would be in Boston, House Majority Leader Dick Armey remarked, "If I were a Democrat, I suspect I'd feel a heck of a lot more comfortable in Boston than, say, America." While campaigning in the western part of the country, President Bush would often jab, "My opponent says he's in touch with the West, but sometimes I think he means Western Massachusetts." The stump speech that he used at many of his campaign stops included many such remarks directed at Massachusetts and New England in general.

Massachusetts - Contemporary political issues

Following a November 2003 decision of the state's Supreme Court, Massachusetts became the first (and heretofore only) state to issue same-sex marriage licenses on May 17, 2004. See the articles on same-sex marriage in the United States and same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts - Famous politicians and public figures

• John Adams, 1st Vice President of the U.S., 2nd President of the U.S., 1800 Federalist presidential nominee
• John Quincy Adams, Congressman, Senator, 6th President of the U.S.
• Samuel Adams, Patriot in the American Revolutionary War
• George H. W. Bush, 43rd Vice President of the U.S., 41st President of the U.S.
• Calvin Coolidge, 29th Vice President of the U.S., 30th President of the U.S.
• Michael Dukakis, Governor, 1988 Democratic presidential nominee
• Benjamin Franklin, Patriot in the American Revolutionary War
• Elbridge Gerry, Congressman, Governor, 5th Vice President of the U.S., namesake of gerrymandering
• John Hancock, Governor, President of the Continental Congress
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Supreme Court Justice
• James Michael Curley, Governor, Congressman, Mayor of Boston
• Edward M. Kennedy, incumbent U.S. Senator, 1980 Democratic presidential candidate
• John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator, 35th President of the U.S.
• Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator (representing New York), 1968 Democratic presidential candidate
• John F. Kerry, Lt. Governor, incumbent U.S. Senator, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee
• Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Theodore Sedgwick, President pro tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Paul Tsongas, U.S. Senator, 1992 Democratic presidential candidate
• Henry Wilson, U.S. Senator, 18th Vice President of the U.S.

Massachusetts - Massachusetts cities towns and counties

There are 50 cities and 301 towns in Massachusetts, grouped into 14 counties.

Massachusetts shares with the five other New England states, plus New York and New Jersey, a governmental structure known as the New England town.

Massachusetts - Education and research

Massachusetts - The central role of education

Massachusetts contains only 2.5% of the U.S. population, but is home to many of its most renowned preparatory schools, colleges, and universities[2] (see full list of colleges and universities in Massachusetts). The population of metropolitan Boston, in particular, surges during the school year (see list of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston).

Massachusetts - Public schools

Massachusetts is known for having one of the best public school systems in the nation. It has one of the lowest high-school dropout rates in the nation and is tied with New Jersey for having the 2nd highest percentage of students who go on to college after high-school. It is also one of the highest-scoring states on advanced placement tests. In 2004, Massachusetts' high school students ranked 1st in the nation for test scores relating to the fields of math and science.

Massachusetts - Professional sports

• Baseball
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Cape Cod Baseball League
  • Lowell Spinners
  • North Shore Spirit
  • Brockton Rox
  • Worcester Tornadoes
• Basketball
  • Boston Celtics
  • Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield)
• Football
  • New England Patriots
• Hockey
  • Boston Bruins
  • Lowell Lock Monsters
  • Springfield Falcons
• Lacrosse
  • Boston Cannons
• Soccer
  • New England Revolution
  • Western Mass Pioneers
• Volleyball
  • Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke)

Massachusetts - Trivia

The Commonwealth's nickname is the Bay State. Other nicknames are the Old Colony State, and less commonly the Puritan state and the Baked Bean state. On December 18, 1990, the Legislature decided that the people of the Commonwealth would be designated as Bay Staters.

The United States Postal Service abbreviation for Massachusetts is MA and its traditional abbreviation is Mass.

Seven ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Massachusetts in honor of this state.

When the Governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the office of Governor remains vacant (for the rest of the 4 year term), the Lieutenant Governor doesn't succeed, only decharges powers & duties as Acting Governor (for rest of the 4 year term).

See also

• Moxie
• Patriot's Day
• Puritanism and Transcendentalism
• Salem Witch Trials
• Thanksgiving

For historical context, see:

• Governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Colonial America
• Slavery in Colonial America
• American Revolution
• History of the United States

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Massachusetts", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki