Massachusetts

Massachusetts
State
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts
Flag
Official seal of Massachusetts
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Bay State
The Pilgrim State; The Puritan State
The Old Colony State
The Baked Bean State[1]
Motto(s): 
Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (Latin)
By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty
Anthem: All Hail to Massachusetts
Map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted
Map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodProvince of Massachusetts Bay
Admitted to the UnionFebruary 6, 1788 (6th)
Capital
(and largest city)		Boston
Largest metro and urban areasGreater Boston
Government
 • GovernorMaura Healey (D)
 • Lieutenant GovernorKim Driscoll (D)
LegislatureGeneral Court
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsElizabeth Warren (D)
Ed Markey (D)
U.S. House delegation9 Democrats (list)
Area
 • Total10,565[2] sq mi (27,337 km2)
 • Land7,840 sq mi (20,306 km2)
 • Water2,715 sq mi (7,032 km2)  26.1%
 • Rank44th
Dimensions
 • Length190 mi (296 km)
 • Width115 mi (184 km)
Elevation
500 ft (150 m)
Highest elevation
(Mount Greylock[3][4])
3,489 ft (1,063.4 m)
Lowest elevation
(Atlantic Ocean)
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total7,029,917
 • Rank15th
 • Density840/sq mi (324/km2)
  • Rank3rd
 • Median household income
$77,385[5]
 • Income rank
5th
DemonymBay Stater (official)[6] Massachusite (traditional)[7][8]

Massachusettsan (recommended by the U.S. GPO)[9]

Masshole (derogatory[10] or affectionate[11])
Language
 • Official languageEnglish[12]
 • Spoken language
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
MA
ISO 3166 codeUS-MA
Traditional abbreviationMass.
Latitude41° 14′ N to 42° 53′ N
Longitude69° 56′ W to 73° 30′ W
Websitewww.mass.gov
Massachusetts state symbols
Flag of Massachusetts
Living insignia
BirdBlack-capped chickadee,[14] wild turkey[15][16]
FishCod[16][17]
FlowerMayflower[16][18]
InsectLadybug[16][19]
MammalRight whale,[20] Morgan horse,[21] Tabby cat,[22] Boston Terrier[23]
ReptileGarter snake[16][24]
TreeAmerican elm[16][25]
Inanimate insignia
BeverageCranberry juice[16][26]
ColorsBlue, green, cranberry[16][27]
DanceSquare dance[16][28]
FoodCranberry,[29] corn muffin,[16][30] navy bean,[31] Boston cream pie,[32] chocolate chip cookie,[33] Boston cream doughnut[34]
FossilDinosaur Tracks[35]
GemstoneRhodonite[16][36]
MineralBabingtonite[16][37]
PoemBlue Hills of Massachusetts[16][38]
RockRoxbury Puddingstone[16][39]
ShellNew England Neptune, Neptunea lyrata decemcostata[16][42]
ShipSchooner Ernestina [16]
SloganMake It Yours,
The Spirit of America[40]
SoilPaxton[16]
SportBasketball[41]
State route marker
Massachusetts state route marker
State quarter
Massachusetts quarter dollar coin
Released in 2000[43]
Lists of United States state symbols

Massachusetts is a state in the United States of America. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[44]

The word Massachusetts comes from Native American language. It means "place with hills."

Location

Massachusetts is on the East Coast of the United States. It is a part of New England located next to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Boston.

Massachusetts borders five different states:

Major cities in Massachusetts include Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Plymouth.

History

Massachusetts was one of the first places that European people lived when they came to America. It became one of the first American colonies. The Pilgrims from Plymouth, England came to America to practice their religion in 1620.

Massachusetts was the place of many events which caused the American Revolution, such as the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was also a center of the anti-slavery movement.

Maine used to be part of Massachusetts, but split off in 1820.

Massachusetts today

Massachusetts is home to some of the United States' most prestigious universities, such as Harvard University and MIT.

Massachusetts one of the richest states in the United States. It is a center for medical research and technology, and is home to several major hospitals.

The state is also home to the New England Patriots, who have won the Super Bowl six times in the National Football League (NFL). Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play, is a historic baseball stadium in Boston.

  • Congregational Church Uxbridge
    Congregational Church
    Uxbridge
  • Lighthouse Salem
    Lighthouse
    Salem
  • Hartwell Tavern Lincoln
    Hartwell Tavern
    Lincoln

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Massachusetts.
  1. ↑ Herman, Jennifer (2008). Massachusetts Encyclopedia. State History Publications, LLC. p. 7. Various nicknames have been given to describe Massachusetts, including the Bay State, the Old Bay State, the Pilgrim State, the Puritan State, the Old Colony State and, less often, the Baked Bean State
  2. ↑ "Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Greylock RM 1 Reset". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey.
  4. ↑ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  5. ↑ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealth". The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Collections". Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society. 1877. p. 435. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ Jones, Thomas (1879). DeLancey, Edward Floyd (ed.). History of New York During the Revolutionary War. New York: New-York Historical Society. p. 465. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual. 2016. §5.23.
  10. ↑ Nagy, Naomi; Irwin, Patricia (July 2010). "Boston (r): Neighbo(r)s nea(r) and fa(r)". Language Variation and Change. 22 (2): 270. doi:10.1017/S0954394510000062. S2CID 147556528.
  11. ↑ "'Masshole' among newest words added to Oxford English Dictionary". masslive.com. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  12. ↑ Schwarz, Hunter (August 12, 2014). "States where English is the official language". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Language spoken at home by ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over—2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". American FactFinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Black-Capped Chickadee:Massachusetts State Bird". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Wild Turkey:Massachusetts State Game Bird". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 16.16 "Massachusetts Facts". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Cod: Massachusetts State Fish". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Mayflower: Massachusetts State Flower". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Ladybug: Massachusetts State Insect". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Right Whale: Massachusetts State Marine Mammal". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Morgan Horse: Massachusetts State Horse". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Tabby Cat: Massachusetts State Cat". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Boston Terrier: Massachusetts State Dog". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Garter Snake: Massachusetts State Reptile". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  25. ↑ "American Elm: Massachusetts State Tree". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Cranberry Juice: Massachusetts State Beverage". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Blue—Green—Cranberry: Massachusetts State Colors". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Square Dance: Massachusetts State Folk Dance". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Cranberry: Massachusetts State Berry". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Corn Muffin: Massachusetts State Muffin". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Baked Navy Bean: Massachusetts State Bean". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Boston Creme Pie: Massachusetts State Dessert". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Chocolate Chip Cookie: Massachusetts State Cookie". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Boston Cream Donut: Massachusetts State Donut". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Dinosaur Tracks: Massachusetts State Fossil". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Rhodonite: Massachusetts State Gem". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Babingtonite: Massachusetts State Mineral". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Blue Hills of Massachusetts: Massachusetts State Poem". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Official State Rock of Massachusetts". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  40. ↑ "State Slogans". Ereferencedesk.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  41. ↑ Levenson, Michael (August 9, 2006). "Can you guess the state sport of Massachusetts?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  42. ↑ "New England Neptune: Massachusetts State Shell". StateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  43. ↑ "The Official Massachusetts State Quarter". theus50.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Massachusetts Constitution". Retrieved May 25, 2022.