This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses see Massachusetts (disambiguation). Commonwealth of Massachusetts Flag Seal Nickname(s): The Bay State Motto(s): Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (Latin) Official language(s) None Demonym Bay Stater1 Capital (and largest city) Boston Largest metro area Greater Boston Area  Ranked 44th in the U.S.  - Total 105552 sq mi (27336 km2)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 25.7  - Latitude 4114 N to 4253 N  - Longitude 6956 W to 7330 W Population  Ranked 14th in the U.S.  - Total (2010) 65476293 - Density 809.8/sq mi  (312.7/km2) Ranked 3rd in the U.S.  - Median income  $65401 (2008) (6th) Elevation    - Highest point Mount Greylock4 3492 ft  (1064 m)  - Mean 500 ft  (150 m)  - Lowest point Atlantic Ocean4 0 ft  (0 m) Before statehood Province of Massachusetts Bay Admission to Union  February 6 1788 (6th) Governor Deval Patrick (D) Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray (D) Legislature General Court  - Upper house Senate  - Lower house House of Representatives U.S. Senators John Kerry (D) Scott Brown (R) U.S. House delegation 10 Democrats (list) Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Abbreviations MA Mass. US-MA Website mass.gov Massachusetts State Symbols Animate insignia Bird(s) Black-capped Chickadee Wild Turkey Fish Cod Flower(s) Mayflower Insect Ladybug Mammal(s) Right whale Morgan horse Tabby cat Boston Terrier Reptile Garter snake Tree American Elm Inanimate insignia Beverage Cranberry Juice Colors Blue Green Cranberry Dance Square Dance Food Cranberry Corn muffin Navy bean Boston cream pie Chocolate chip cookie Boston cream donut Fossil Mastodon Gemstone Rhodonite Mineral Babingtonite Poem "Blue Hills of Massachusetts" Rock Roxbury Puddingstone Shell Wrinkled Whelk Ship(s) Schooner Ernestina Slogan(s) Make It Yours The Spirit of America Soil Paxton Song(s) All Hail to Massachusetts Sport Basketball Baseball Hockey Football Soccer Route marker(s) State Quarter Released in 2000 Lists of United States state insignia

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (i /mstusts/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south New York to the west and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 Census Massachusetts' population was 6547629. The state features two separate metropolitan areas - the eastern Boston metropolitan area and the western Springfield metropolitan area. Approximately two thirds of the state's population lives in Greater Boston most of which is either urban or suburban. Western Massachusetts features one urban area - the Knowledge Corridor along the Connecticut River - and a mix of college towns and rural areas. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states the third most densely populated state in the United States and also has the U.S.'s sixth highest GDP per capita.

Culturally historically and commercially Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history. Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North America. Many of Massachusetts's towns were founded by colonists from England in the 1620s and 1630s. Harvard University founded in 1636 is the oldest institution of higher learning in the (now) United States. In 1692 the towns surrounding Salem Massachusetts experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria the Salem Witch Trials. In the eighteenth century the Protestant First Great Awakening which swept the Atlantic world originated from the pulpit of Northampton Massachusetts preacher Jonathan Edwards. In the late 18th century Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution and the independence of the United States from Great Britain. In 1777 George Washington founded the Springfield Armory which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances including interchangeable parts. In 1786 Shays' Rebellion a populist revolt by Western Massachusetts farmers led directly to the United States Constitutional Convention. Before the American Civil War Massachusetts was a center for the temperance transcendentalist and abolitionist movements. In 1837 Mount Holyoke College the United States' first college for women was opened in the Connecticut River Valley town of South Hadley. In the late nineteenth century the (now) Olympic sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke respectively. In 2004 Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage. The state has contributed many prominent politicians to national service including members of the Adams family and of the Kennedy family.

Originally dependent on fishing agriculture and trade with Europe Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. In the 21st century the state is a leader in higher education health care technology high technology and financial services. Contents 1 Name 2 Geography 2.1 Ecology 3 History 3.1 Early 3.2 Colonial period 3.3 Federal period 3.4 19th century 3.5 20th century 4 21st century 5 Demographics 5.1 Race and ancestry 5.2 Religion 6 Economy 7 Transportation 7.1 Rail service 7.2 Regional services 7.3 Air service 7.4 Road 8 Government and politics 8.1 Government 8.2 Politics 9 Cities towns and counties 10 Education 11 Arts and culture 12 Media 13 Health 14 Sports and recreation 14.1 Organized sports 14.2 Outdoor recreation 15 See also 16 References 16.1 Notes 16.2 Bibliography 17 Further reading 17.1 Overviews and surveys 17.2 Secondary sources 18 External links 19 Related information Name

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population the Massachusett whose name can be segmented as mass-adchu-s-et where mass- is "large" -adchu- is "hill" -s- is a diminutive suffix meaning "small" and -et is a locative suffix identifying a place. It has been translated as "near the great hill"5 "by the blue hills" "at the little big hill" or "at the range of hills" referring to the Blue Hills or in particular Great Blue Hill located on the boundary of Milton and Canton.67 Alternatively Massachusett has been represented as Moswetuset from the name of the Moswetuset Hummock (meaning "hill shaped like an arrowhead") in Quincy where Plymouth Colony commander Miles Standish and Squanto a Native American met Chief Chickatawbut in 1621.89

The official name of the state is the "Commonwealth of Massachusetts".10 Colloquially it is often referred to simply as "the Commonwealth." While this designation is part of the state's official name it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states.11 Geography Main article: Geography of Massachusetts Prominent roads and cities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and has an area of 10555 square miles (27340 km2).2 It 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. Most of the state is uplands of resistant metamorphic rock that were scraped by Pleistocene glaciers that deposited moraines and outwash on a large sandy arm-shaped peninsula called Cape Cod and the islands Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket to the south of Cape Cod. Upland elevations increase dramatically in Western Massachusetts. These uplands are interrupted by the downfaulted southern Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River and further west by the Housatonic Valley separating the Berkshire Hills from the Taconic Range along the western border with New York. The highest peak in the state is Mount Greylock at 3491 feet (1064 m) near Massachusetts' northwest corner.4 View of the Connecticut River and north-central Pioneer Valley from Mt. Sugarloaf South Deerfield.

In Eastern Massachusetts Boston is located at the innermost point of Massachusetts Bay at the mouth of the Charles River. The Charles River is longest river located entirely within Massachusetts; however the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts is the Commonwealth's longest river.12 Most of the population of the Boston metropolitan area (approximately 4.4 million) lives outside of the city proper. In general Eastern Massachusetts including and surrounding Boston is densely populated. Boston's suburbs stretch as far west as the City of Worcester in Central Massachusetts.

Central Massachusetts encompasses Worcester County. It features the large city of Worcester and the smaller cities of Fitchburg Leominster Gardner and Southbridge. Central Massachusetts also includes many rural hill towns forests and small farms. The Quabbin Reservoir borders the western side of the county; it is the main water supply for Greater Boston.1314

West of the Central Massachusetts hill towns the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts features the Commonwealth's richest soil.15 The major city of Springfield sits beside the Connecticut River amidst a broad valley a mere five miles (8 km) north of the Connecticut border and only 24 miles (39 km) from Connecticut's capital city Hartford. The densely populated Springfield-Hartford region called the Knowledge Corridor is the second most populous region in New England (approximately 1.9 million.) As in Eastern Massachusetts most residents live outside of the region's two principal cities (i.e. Springfield and Hartford.) Other cities in Massachusetts' portion of the Knowledge Corridor include Chicopee Agawam West Springfield Westfield Holyoke and the college towns of Northampton and Amherst. Massachusetts terrain features a low coastal plain in the east the New England uplands the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshire and Taconic Mountains in the west. West of the Knowledge Corridor is mountainous including the hilltowns immediately to the west of the Valley. Further west rises a range of rolling purple mountains known as the Berkshires. Near the New York border the Taconic and Hoosac Ranges cross into Massachusetts; however in general the area is known as The Berkshires. The region was populated by aborigines until the 18th century when Scotch-Irish settlers arrived after having found the fertile lowlands along the Connecticut River settled. On reaching the Berkshires settlers found poor soil for farming but discovered numerous fast-moving rivers for industry. Pittsfield and North Adams grew into small prosperous cities. A number of smaller mill towns exist along the Westfield and Housatonic Rivers interspersed among wealthy vacation resort towns. The National Park Service administers a number of natural and historical sites in Massachusetts.16 Along with twelve national historic sites areas and corridors the National Park Service also manages the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.16 In addition the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains a number of parks trails and beaches throughout the commonwealth.171819 Ecology The primary biome of inland Massachusetts is temperate deciduous forest.20 Although much of the state had been cleared for agriculture leaving only traces of old growth forest in isolated pockets secondary growth has regenerated in many rural areas as farms have been abandoned.21 Currently forests cover around 62% of Massachusetts.2223 The areas most affected by human development include the Greater Boston area in the east the smaller Springfield metropolitan area in the west and the largely agricultural Pioneer Valley.24 Animals that have become locally extinct over the past few centuries include gray wolves elk wolverines and mountain lions.25 Many coastal areas in Massachusetts provide breeding areas for species such as the Piping Plover. A number of species are doing well despite and in some cases because of the increased urbanization of the commonwealth. Peregrine falcons utilize office towers in larger cities as nesting areas26 and the population of coyotes whose diet may include garbage and roadkill has been increasing in recent decades.27 White-tailed deer raccoons wild turkeys and eastern gray squirrels are also found throughout Massachusetts.2528 In more rural areas in the western part of the state larger mammals such as moose and black bears have returned largely due to reforestation following the regional decline in agriculture.2930 Massachusetts is located along the Atlantic Flyway a major route for migratory waterfowl along the Atlantic coast.31 Lakes in central Massachusetts provide habitat for the common loon32 while a significant population of long-tailed ducks winter off Nantucket.33 Small offshore islands and beaches are home to roseate terns and are important breeding areas for the locally threatened piping plover.3435 Protected areas such as the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge provide critical breeding habitat for shorebirds and a variety of marine wildlife including a large population of gray seals.36 Freshwater fish species in the commonwealth include bass carp catfish and trout37 while saltwater species such as Atlantic cod haddock and American lobster populate offshore waters.38 Other marine species include Harbor seals the endangered North Atlantic right whales as well as humpback whales fin whales minke whales and Atlantic white-sided dolphins.25 History Main article: History of Massachusetts Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882) The Pilgrims were a group of Puritans who founded Plymouth in 1620. Early Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family such as the Wampanoag Narragansett Nipmuc Pocomtuc Mahican and Massachusett.3940 While cultivation of crops like squash and corn supplemented their diets these tribes were generally dependent on hunting gathering and fishing for most of their food supply.39 Villages consisted of lodges called wigwams as well as long houses40 and tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems.41 In the early 1600s large numbers of the indigenous people in the northeast of what is now the United States were killed by virgin soil epidemics such as smallpox measles influenza and perhaps leptospirosis.42 In 16171619 smallpox reportedly killed 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans.43 The epidemics' high mortality resulted in exensive restructuring of Native politics with the survivors of previously strong villages banding together to form new alliances - a situation which may have increased their vulnerability during the English invasion. Colonial period The first English settlers in Massachusetts the Pilgrims established their settlement at Plymouth in 1620 and developed friendly relations with the native Wampanoag.44 This was the second successful permanent English colony in North America after the Jamestown Colony. The Pilgrims were soon followed by Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony at present-day Boston in 1630.45 The Puritans who believed the Church of England was too hierarchical (among other disagreements) came to Massachusetts for religious freedom.46 although like the Plymouth colony the bay colony was founded under a royal charter. Both religious dissention and expansionism resulted in several new colonies being founded shortly after Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay. Dissenters such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were banished due to religious disagreements;(Hutchinson held meetings in her home discussing flaws in the Puritan beliefs while Williams believed that the Puritan beliefs were wrong and the Indians must be respected) in 1636 Williams founded the colony of Rhode Island and Hutchinson joined him there several years later.47 In 1635 a group of Massachusetts clergymen traveled southwest to found Hartford Connecticut. In 1636 members of that same group founded Springfield beside the Connecticut River where the Commonwealth's best agricultural land is concentrated.48 Early racial tensions led to several wars between Native Americans and whites in the 17th century including the Pequot War between 163438 and King Philips War (primarily against the Wampanoags) between 167576 during which Springfield was burned to the ground.4950 Both wars ended in victories for the whites and their Native allies.4950 In 1691 Massachusetts became a single colony combining Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony (along with present-day Maine).51 In part due to a delay in establishing a new unified political system the Salem witch trials in which a number of women were hanged occurred at this time.51 During the French and Indian War Governor William Shirley was instrumental in the Expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia and trying to settle them in New England; Shirley also was involved in transporting New England Planters to settle Nova Scotia on the former Acadian farms.52 In 1755 about 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday November 18 was the most destructive earthquake yet known in New England. The first pulsations of the ground were followed for about a minute of tremulous motion. Next came a quick vibration and several jerks much worse than the first. Houses rocked and cracked; furniture fell over. Dr. Edward A. Holyoke of Salem Massachusetts wrote in his diary that he "thought of nothing less than being buried instantly in the ruins of the house." The shaking continued for two to three minutes more and seemed to move from northwest to southeast. The ocean along the coast was affected; ships shook so much that sleeping sailors awoke thinking they had run aground. In Boston the earthquake threw dishes on the floor stopped clocks and bent vane-rods on churches and Faneuil Hall. Stone walls collapsed. New springs appeared and old springs dried up. Subterranean streams changed their courses emptying many wells. The worst damage was to chimneys. In Boston alone about a hundred were leveled; about fifteen hundred were damaged the streets in some places almost covered with fallen bricks. Falling chimneys broke some roofs. Many wooden buildings in Boston were thrown down and some brick buildings suffered; the gable ends of twelve or fifteen were knocked down to the eaves. Despite the danger and many narrow escapes no one was killed or seriously injured. Aftershocks continued for four days.53 Percy's Rescue at Lexington by Ralph Earl and Amos Doolittle from 1775 an illustration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from Great Britain earning it the nickname the "Cradle of Liberty". Colonists here had long had uneasy relations with the British monarchy including open rebellion under the Dominion of New England in the 1680s.51 The Boston Tea Party is an example of the protest spirit in the early 1770s while the Boston Massacre escalated the conflict.54 Anti-British activity by men like Sam Adams and John Hancock followed by reprisals by the British government were a primary reason for the unity of the Thirteen Colonies and the outbreak of the American Revolution.55 The Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated the American Revolutionary War and were fought in the Massachusetts towns of Concord and Lexington.56 Future President George Washington took over what would become the Continental Army after the battle. His first victory was the Siege of Boston in the winter of 1775-6 after which the British were forced to evacuate the city.57 The event is still celebrated in Suffolk County as Evacuation Day.58 Federal period Bostonian John Adams known as the "Atlas of Independence" was an important figure in both the struggle for independence as well as the formation of the new United States.59 Adams was highly involved in the push for separation from Britain and the writing of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780 (which in the Elizabeth Freeman and Quock Walker cases effectively made Massachusetts the first state to have a constitution that declared universal rights and as interpreted by Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice William Cushing abolished slavery).5960 Later Adams was active in early American foreign affairs and succeeded Washington as US President.59 His son John Quincy Adams would go on to become the sixth US President.59 After independence and during the formative years of independent American government Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in the western half of the state from 1786 to 1787. The rebels were mostly small farmers angered by crushing war debt and taxes. The rebellion was one of the major factors in the decision to draft a stronger national constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.61 On February 6 1788 Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.62 19th century In 1820 Maine separated from Massachusetts of which it had been first a contiguous and then a non-contiguous part and entered the Union as the 23rd state as a result of the ratification of the Missouri Compromise.63 Textile mills such as the Boott Mills in Lowell made Massachusetts a leader in the US industrial revolution. During the 19th century Massachusetts became a national leader in the American Industrial Revolution with factories around Boston producing textiles and shoes and factories around Springfield producing precision manufacturing tools and paper.6465 The economy transformed from one based primarily on agriculture to an industrial one initially making use of waterpower and later the steam engine to power factories and canals and later railroads for transporting goods and materials.66 At first the new industries drew labor from Yankees on nearby subsistence farms and later relied upon immigrant labor from Europe and Canada.6768 In the years leading up to the Civil War Massachusetts was a center of social progressivism Transcendentalism and abolitionist activity. Horace Mann made the state system of schools the national model.69 Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson made major contributions to American thought.70 Members of the Transcendentalism movement they emphasized the importance of the natural world and emotion to humanity.70 Although significant opposition to abolitionism existed early on in Massachusetts resulting in anti-abolitionist riots between 1835 and 183771 opposition to slavery gradually increased in the next few decades.7273 The works of abolitionists contributed to subsequent actions of the state during the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first state to recruit train and arm a Black regiment with White officers the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.74 The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston Common contains a relief depicting the 54th regiment.75 In 1836 Mount Holyoke College the United States' first women's college was opened in the Connecticut River Valley town of South Hadley.76 In 1891 and 1895 the sports of basketball and volleyball--both now Olympic sports popular worldwidewere invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke respectively. Today Springfield is home to the international Basketball Hall of Fame. Holyoke is home to the international Volleyball Hall of Fame.77 In the 1890slargely due to the presence of the Springfield Armory which employed many skilled mechanical workers--Greater Springfield became the United States' first major center of automobile and motorcycle innovation. The United States' first gasoline powered automobile company the Duryea Motor Wagon Company was founded in Chicopee in 1893. The first American motorcycle company the Indian Motorcycle Company was founded in Springfield in 1901. Knox Automobile produced the world's first motorized fire engines in Springfield in 1906.78 20th century Part of the "Big Dig" construction project; this portion is over the Charles River. The industrial economy began a decline in the early 20th century with the exodus of many manufacturing companies. By the 1920s competition from the South and Midwest followed by the Great Depression led to the collapse of Massachusetts' three main industries textiles shoemaking and mechanized transportation.79 This decline would continue into the latter half of the century; between 1950 and 1979 the number of Bay Staters involved in textile manufacturing declined from 264000 to 63000.80 The Springfield Armory the United States' Military's munitions producer since 1777 was controversially shutdown by the Pentagon in 1968. This spurred an exodus of high-paying jobs from Western Massachusetts which suffered greatly as it de-industrialized during the last 40 years of the 20th century.81 In Eastern Massachusetts following World War II the economy was transformed from one based on heavy industry into a service and high-tech based economy.82 Government contracts private investment and research facilities led to a new and improved industrial climate with reduced unemployment and increased per capita income. Suburbanization flourished and by the 1970s the Route 128 corridor was dotted with high-technology companies who recruited graduates of the area's many elite institutions of higher education.83 The Kennedy family was prominent in Massachusetts politics in the 20th century. Children of businessman and ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. included John F. Kennedy who was a senator and US president before his assassination in 1963 Robert F. Kennedy who was a senator US attorney general and presidential candidate before his assassination in 1968 Ted Kennedy a senator from 1962 until his death in 200984 and Eunice Kennedy Shriver a co-founder of the Special Olympics.85 The famous Kennedy Compound is located at Hyannisport on Cape Cod.86 21st century In 1987 the state received federal funding for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. Known as "the Big Dig" it was at the time the biggest federal highway project ever approved.87 The project included making the Central Artery a tunnel under downtown Boston in addition to the re-routing of several other major highways.88 Often controversial with numerous claims of graft and mismanagement and with its initial price tag of $2.5 billion increasing to a final tally of over $15 billion the Big Dig has nonetheless changed the face of Downtown Boston.87 It has connected areas that were once divided by elevated highway (much of the raised old Central Artery was replaced with the Rose Kennedy Greenway) and improved traffic conditions along a number of routes.8788 Demographics Main article: Demographics of Massachusetts Massachusetts population density map Historical populations Census Pop. % 1790 378787 1800 422845 11.6% 1810 472040 11.6% 1820 523287 10.9% 1830 610408 16.6% 1840 737699 20.9% 1850 994514 34.8% 1860 1231066 23.8% 1870 1457351 18.4% 1880 1783085 22.4% 1890 2238947 25.6% 1900 2805346 25.3% 1910 3366416 20.0% 1920 3852356 14.4% 1930 4249614 10.3% 1940 4316721 1.6% 1950 4690514 8.7% 1960 5148578 9.8% 1970 5689170 10.5% 1980 5737037 0.8% 1990 6016425 4.9% 2000 6349097 5.5% 2010 6547629 3.1% Sources:89909192 Massachusetts had an estimated 2009 population of 6593587.89 As of 2000 Massachusetts was estimated to be the third most densely populated U.S. state with 809.8 per square mile behind New Jersey and Rhode Island.2 Massachusetts in 2004 included 919771 foreign-born residents.93 Most Bay Staters live within the Boston Metropolitan Area also known as Greater Boston. Massachusetts' only other metropolitan area separate from Greater Boston is the Springfield Metropolitan Area also known as Greater Springfield. Centered in the Connecticut River Valley Greater Springfield includes the revitalizing city of Springfield and an eclectic array of college towns (e.g. Amherst and Northampton) and rural areas to the north and west. Geographically the center of population of Massachusetts is located in Middlesex County in the town of Natick.94 Like the rest of the northeastern United States the population of Massachusetts has continued to grow in the past few decades although at a slower pace than states in the South or West.95 The latest census estimates show that the commonwealth's population grew by 3.9% since 2000 compared with nearly 10% nationwide. In their decisions to leave Massachusetts most former residents cited high housing costs and a high cost of living. 96 Another factor has been the transformation from a manufacturing economy into one based on high technology leaving limited employment options for lower-skilled workers particularly males.97 Foreign immigration is more than making up for these losses causing Massachusetts' population to continue to grow as of the 2010 Census (particularly in Massachusetts gateway cities where costs of living and housing are lower.) 9598 40% of foreign immigrants were from Central or South America according to a 2005 Census Bureau study. Many residents who have settled in Greater Springfield claim Puerto Rican descent. 95 Many areas of the commonwealth showed relatively stable population trends between 2000 and 2010.98 Exurban Boston and coastal areas grew the most rapidly while Berkshire County in far Western Massachusetts and Barnstable County on Cape Cod were the only counties to lose population as of the 2010 Census.98 Both of these counties feature many "second homes" and constitute major centers of Massachusetts tourism. In 2005 79% of Bay Staters spoke English 7% spoke Spanish 3.5% spoke Portuguese and 1% spoke either French or Chinese.99 Race and ancestry According to the US Census Bureau the 2010 racial makeup of the commonwealth was as follows:93 Non-Hispanic Whites - 75.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) - 9.6% Black or African American - 6.6% Asian - 5.3% Other - 4.3% Two or more races - 2.6% Native American/American Indian - 0.3% 100 As late as 1795 the population of Massachusetts was nearly uniformily (95%) of British ancestry.101 During the early and mid 19th century immigrant groups began arriving to the commonwealth in large numbers; first from Ireland in the 1840s102 and later from Quebec as well as places in Europe such as Italy and Poland.103 In the early 20th century a number of African Americans immigrated to Massachusetts although in somewhat fewer numbers than many other Northern states.104 Later 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.105 Massachusetts also has a relatively large population of Portuguese descent. Many of the earliest Portuguese-speaking immigrants came from the Azores in the 19th century to work in the whaling industry in cities like New Bedford.106107 Later further waves of Portuguese arrived this time often finding work in the textile mills.107 Lowell is home to the second largest Cambodian (Khmer) community in the nation.108 The Wampanoag tribe maintains reservations at Aquinnah at Grafton on Martha's Vineyard and at Mashpee on Cape Cod109110 while the Nipmuck maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state. While Massachusetts had avoided many of the more violent forms of racial strife seen elsewhere in the US examples such as the successful electoral showings of the nativist (mainly anti-Catholic) Know Nothings in the 1850s111 the controversial Sacco and Vanzetti executions in the 1920s112 and Boston's opposition to desegregation busing in the 1970s113 show that the ethnic history of the commonwealth was not completely harmonious. Religion Massachusetts was founded and settled by the Puritians in 1620. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the Congregational/United Church of Christ and congregations of Unitarian Universalist Association. Most people in Massachusetts were Christians. Some also believed in Predestination. The headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association is located on Beacon Hill in Boston.114 Today Protestants make up less than 1/4 of the state's population. Roman Catholics now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Ireland followed by Italy Quebec and Latin America. A large Jewish population came to the Boston and Springfield areas 18801920. Mary Baker Eddy made the Boston Mother Church of Christian Science the world headquarters. Buddhists Pagans Hindus Seventh-day Adventists Muslims and Mormons also can be found. Kripalu Center in Stockbridge the Shambala Center in Northampton and the Insight Meditation Center in Barre are examples of non-western religious centers in Massachusetts. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives the largest single denominations are the Roman Catholic Church with 3092296; the United Church of Christ with 121826; and the Episcopal Church with 98963 adherents. Jewish congregations had about 275000 members.115 The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts according to a 2001 survey are shown below:116 Built in 1681 the Old Ship Church in Hingham is the oldest church in America in continuous ecclesiastical use.117 Christian - 68% Catholic - 44% Protestant - 24% General Protestant or other Protestant - 11% Baptist - 4% Congregational/United Church of Christ - 3% Episcopal - 3% Other or non-denominational Christian - 3% Jewish - 2% Other - 7% No Religion - 16% Refused to answer - 7% Economy CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2010" has recognized Massachusetts as the fifth best state in the nation falling short to only Texas Virginia Colorado and North Carolina. 118 MassMutual Financial Group is a Fortune 100 company based in Springfield The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Massachusetts' gross state product in 2008 was US$365 billion.119 The per capita personal income in 2008 was $50735 making it the third highest state in the nation.120 13 Fortune 500 companies are located in the commonwealth the largest of which are the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and MassMutual Financial Services.121 Sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include higher education biotechnology finance health care and tourism. Route 128 was a major center for the development of minicomputers and electronics.83 High technology remains an important sector though few of the largest technology companies are based there. In recent years tourism has played an ever-important role in the state's economy with Boston and Cape Cod being the leading destinations. Other popular tourist destinations include Salem Plymouth and the Berkshires. As of March 2011 the state's unemployment rate was 8.0%.122 As of 2005 there were 7700 farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of 520000 acres (2100 km2) averaging 68 acres (0.28 km2) apiece.123 Almost 2300 of Massachusetts' 6100 farms grossed under $2500 in 2007.123 Particular agricultural products of note include tobacco livestock and fruits tree nuts and berries for which the state is nationally ranked 11th 17th and 16th respectively.123 Massachusetts is the second largest cranberry producing state in the union (after Wisconsin).124 Cape Cod Bay a leading tourist destination in Massachusetts. Tourism is of growing importance to the state's economy. Massachusetts' overall state and local tax burden ranks 23rd highest in the United States.125 Massachusetts has a flat-rate personal income tax of 5.3%125 with an exemption for income below a threshold that varies from year to year. The corporate income tax rate is 8.8%125 and the capital gains tax rate was 12%.126 The state imposes a 6.25% sales tax125 on retail sales of tangible personal propertyexcept for groceries clothing (up to $175.00) and periodicals.127 The sales tax is charged on clothing that costs more than $175.00.127 All real and tangible personal property located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Property taxes in the state were the eighth highest in the nation.125 There is no inheritance tax and limited Massachusetts estate tax related to federal estate tax collection.126 See also: Massachusetts locations by per capita income Transportation See also: Category:Transportation in Massachusetts The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Greater Boston. Massachusetts has 10 regional metropolitan planning organizations and three non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state; statewide planning is handled by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Rail service Amtrak operates inter-city rail including the high-speed Acela service to cities such as Providence New Haven New York City Washington D.C. and Charlotte NC.128 Regional services The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates public transportation in the form of subway129 bus130 and ferry131 systems in the Metro Boston area. It also operates longer distance commuter rail services throughout the larger Greater Boston area including service to Worcester and Providence Rhode Island.132 Fifteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in their local communities.133 Two heritage railways are in operation: the Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Berkshire Scenic Railway.134135 As of 2006 a number of freight railroads were operating in Massachusetts with CSX being the largest carrier. Massachusetts has a total of 1079 miles (1736 km) of freight trackage in operation.136 The Woods Hole Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority regulates freight and passenger ferry service to the islands and operates some of those lines.137 Air service The major airport in the state is Logan International Airport. The airport served over 28 million passengers in 2007 and is used by around 50 airlines.138 Logan Hanscom Field in Bedford and Worcester Regional Airport are operated by Massport an independent state transportation agency.138 Massachusetts has approximately 42 public-use airfields and over 200 private landing spots.139 Some airports receive funding from the Aeronautics Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration; FAA is also the primary regulator. Further information: List of airports in Massachusetts Road There are a total of 31300 miles (50400 km) of interstates and highways in Massachusetts.140 Interstate 90 also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike is the longest interstate in the commonwealth. The route runs 136 mi (219 km) generally west to east from the New York state line near the town of West Stockbridge and passes just north of Springfield just south of Worcester and through Framingham before terminating near Logan International Airport in Boston. Other major interstates include Interstate 91 which runs generally north and south along the Connecticut River Interstate 93 which runs north and south through central Boston then passes Methuen and Lawrence before entering New Hampshire. Interstate 95 which follows most of the US Atlantic coastline connects Providence Rhode Island with Greater Boston forming a loop around the more urbanized areas (for some distance cosigned with Route 128) before continuing north along the coast. Interstate 495 forms a wide loop around the outer edge of Greater Boston. Other major interstates in the commonwealth include I-291 I-391 I-84 I-195 I-395 I-290 and I-190. Major non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include U.S. Routes 1 3 6 and 20 and state routes 2 3 24 and 128. A great majority of interstates in Massachusetts were constructed during the mid 20th century and at times were controversial particularly the routing of I-95 through central Boston. Opposition to continued construction grew and in 1970 Governor Francis W. Sargent issued a general prohibition on most further freeway construction within the I-95/Route 128 loop in the Boston area.141 A massive undertaking to depress I-93 in downtown Boston called the Big Dig has brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny over the last decade.87 Government and politics Massachusetts State House facing Boston Common The government of Massachusetts is divided into three branches: executive legislative and judicial. The commonwealth has a long political history; earlier political structures included the Mayflower Compact of 1620 the separate Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies and the combined colonial Province of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Constitution was ratified in 1780 while the Revolutionary War was in progress four years after the Articles of Confederation was drafted and eight years before the present United States Constitution was ratified on June 21 1788. Drafted by John Adams the Commonwealth's constitution is one of the oldest functioning written constitutions in continuous effect in the world.142 In recent decades Massachusetts politics have been generally dominated by the Democratic Party and the state has a reputation for being one of the most liberal in the country. The City Springfield's City Hall and Campanile Government Main article: Government of Massachusetts The Government of Massachusetts is divided into three branches: Executive Legislative and Judicial. The governor of Massachusetts heads the executive branch; duties of the governor include signing or vetoing legislation filling judicial and agency appointments granting pardons preparing an annual budget and commanding the Massachusetts National Guard.143 Massachusetts governors unlike those of most other states are addressed as His/Her Excellency.143 The current governor is Deval Patrick a Democrat from Milton. The executive branch also includes the Executive Council which is made up of eight elected councilors and the Lieutenant Governor.143 Abilities of the Council include confirming gubanatorial appointments and certifying elections.143 The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Massachusetts Senate comprise the legislature of the commonwealth known as the Massachusetts General Court.143 The House consists of 160 members while the Senate has 40 members.143 Leaders of the House and Senate are chosen by the members of those bodies; the leader of the House is known as the Speaker while the leader of the Senate is known as the President.143 Each branch consists of several committees.143 Members of both bodies are elected to two-year terms. The Judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Judicial Court which serves over a number of lower courts.143 The Supreme Judicial Court is made up of a chief justice and six associate justices.143 Judicial appointments are made by the governor and confirmed by the executive council.143 Massachusetts's Congressional delegation is nearly entirely Democratic.144145 Currently the U.S. senators are Democrat John Kerry and Republican Scott Brown. The ten members of the state's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives (all Democrats) are John Olver Richard Neal Jim McGovern Barney Frank Niki Tsongas John F. Tierney Ed Markey Mike Capuano Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating.145 Federal court cases are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and appeals are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.146 In US presidential elections Massachusetts is allotted 12 votes in the electoral college out of a total of 538.147 Like most states the commonwealth's electoral votes are granted in a winner-take-all system.148 Politics Main article: Politics of Massachusetts Presidential elections results Year Republican Democratic 2008 36.20% 1105908 62.01% 1894067 2004 36.83% 1070109 61.92% 1803801 2000 32.51% 878502 59.93% 1616487 1996 28.11% 718107 61.52% 1571763 1992 29.04% 805049 47.51% 1318662 1988 45.42% 1194635 53.23% 1401416 Throughout the mid 20th century Massachusetts has gradually shifted from a Republican-leaning state to one largely dominated by Democrats; the 1952 victory of John F. Kennedy over incumbent Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. is seen as a watershed moment in this transformation. His younger brother Edward M. Kennedy held that seat until his death from brain tumor in 2009.149 Massachusetts has since gained a reputation as being a politically liberal state and is often used as an archetype of modern liberalism hence the usage of the phrase "Massachusetts liberal".150 Massachusetts routinely votes for the Democratic Party in federal elections. As of the 2006 election the Republican party holds less than 13% of the seats in both legislative houses of the General Court: in the House the balance is 141 Democratic to 19 Republican and in the Senate 355.151 Although Republicans held the governor's office continuously from 1991 to 2007 they have been among the more socially liberal Republican leaders in the nation.152153 In the 2004 election Massachusetts gave native son John Kerry 61.9% of the vote and his largest margin of victory in any state.154 In 2008 President Barack Obama carried the state with 61.8% of the vote.155 In a recent statewide election a special election in 2010 for the U.S. Senate saw Republican Scott Brown defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in an upset by a 52% to 47% margin.156 A number of contemporary national political issues have been influenced by events in the commonwealth such as the 2003 state Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage157 and a 2006 bill which mandated health insurance for all Bay Staters.158 In 2008 Massachusetts voters passed an initiative decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.159 Further information: Political party strength in Massachusetts Cities towns and counties Boston the capital and largest city of Massachusetts. Main article: Local Government There are 50 cities and 301 towns in Massachusetts grouped into 14 counties.160 The fourteen counties moving roughly from west to east are Berkshire Franklin Hampshire Hampden Worcester Middlesex Essex Suffolk Norfolk Bristol Plymouth Barnstable Dukes and Nantucket. Eleven communities which call themselves "towns" are by law cities since they have traded the town meeting form of government for a mayor-council or manager-council form.161 Boston is the state capital and largest city in Massachusetts. The population of the city proper is 609023162 and Greater Boston with a population of 4522858 is the 10th largest metropolitan area in the nation.163 Other cities with a population over 100000 include Worcester Springfield Lowell and Cambridge.164 Plymouth is the largest municipality in the state by land area.160 Massachusetts along with the five other New England states features the local governmental structure known as the New England town.165 In this structure incorporated townsas opposed to townships or countieshold many of the responsibilities and powers of local government.165 Some of the county governments were abolished by the commonwealth in 1997 and elect only a sheriff and registrar of deed who are part of the state government.166 Others have been reorganized and a few still retain county councils.166 Education The Widener Library at Harvard University. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and has the largest academic library in the world.167 Massachusetts was the first state to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school with the passage of the Massachusetts Education Law of 1647168 and 19th century reforms pushed by Horace Mann founder of Westfield State University laid much of the groundwork for contemporary universal public education.169170 Massachusetts is home to the country's oldest public elementary school (The Mather School founded in 1639) oldest high school (Boston Latin School founded in 1635)171 oldest college (Harvard University founded in 1636)172 and oldest women's college (Mount Holyoke College founded in 1837). 173 In 1852 Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws.174 The per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools (kindergarten through grade 12) was fifth in the nation in 2004 at $11681.175 In 2007 Massachusetts scored highest of all the states in math on the National Assessments of Educational Progress.176 Massachusetts is home to 121 institutions of higher education.177 Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology both located in Cambridge consistently rank among the world's best universities. 178179180 Western Massachusetts features an inordinate amount of the United States most well-regarded liberal arts colleges Amherst College in Amherst Massachusetts and Williams College in Williamstown Massachusetts. There are more than 40 colleges located in the greater Boston area alone sixteen located in the Greater Springfield area and ten located in and around Worcester. The University of Massachusetts (nicknamed UMass) features five campuses in the state with a flagship campus in Amherst Massachusetts that enrolls over 25000 students. UMass-Amherst is located eighteen miles (29 km) north of Springfield. 181182 Further information: List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts and List of high schools in Massachusetts Arts and culture The Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden and Museum of Fine Arts at The Quadrangle in Springfield Massachusetts has contributed much to American arts and culture. Drawing from its Native American and Yankee roots along with later immigrant groups the commonwealth has produced a number of writers artists and musicians. A number of major museums and important historical sites are also located there and events and festivals throughout the year celebrate the state's history and heritage. Massachusetts was an early center of the Trancendentalist movement which emphasized intuition emotion human individuality and a deeper connection with nature.70 Ralph Waldo Emerson who was from Boston but spent much of his later life in Concord largely created the philosophy with his 1836 work Nature and continued to be a key figure in the movement for the remainder of his life. Emerson's friend Henry David Thoreau who was also involved in Trancendentalism recorded his year spent alone in a small cabin at nearby Walden Pond in the 1854 work Walden; or Life in the Woods.183 Other famous authors and poets from Massachusetts include Nathaniel Hawthorne John Updike Emily Dickinson Henry Wadsworth Longfellow E.E. Cummings Sylvia Plath and Theodor Seuss Geisel better known as "Dr. Seuss".184185186 Famous painters from Massachusetts include Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell;186 many of the latter's works are on display at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.187 An outdoor dance performance at Jacob's Pillow in Becket The commonwealth is also an important center for the performing arts. Both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra are based in Massachusetts.188 Other orchestras in the commonwealth include the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra in Barnstable and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.189190 Tanglewood in western Massachusetts is a music venue that is home to both the Tanglewood Music Festival and Tanglewood Jazz Festival as well as the summer host for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.191192 Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires hosts a number of traditional and contemporary musical and dance events.193 Other performing arts and theater organizations in Massachusetts include the Boston Ballet194 the Boston Lyric Opera188 and the Lenox-based Shakespeare & Company.195 In addition to classical and folk music Massachusetts has produced musicians and bands spanning a number of contemporary genres such as the classic rock band Aerosmith the New Wave band The Cars and the alternative rock band Pixies.196 Film events in the state include the Boston Film Festival the Boston International Film Festival and a number of smaller film festivals in various cities throughout the commonwealth.197 USS Constitution fires a salute during its annual Fourth of July turnaround cruise Massachusetts is home to a large number of museums and historical sites. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts the Institute of Contemporary Art and the DeCordova contemporary art and sculpture museum in Lincoln are all located within the commonwealth198199 and the Maria Mitchell Association in Nantucket includes several observatories museums and an aquarium.200 Historically themed museums and sites such as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield16 Boston's Freedom Trail and nearby Minute Man National Historical Park both of which preserve a number of sites important during the American Revolution16201 the Lowell National Historical Park which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the industrial revolution in the US16 the Black Heritage Trail in Boston which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston202 and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park16 all showcase various periods of the commonwealth's history. Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village are two open-air or "living" museums in Massachusetts recreating life as it was in the 17th and early 19th centuries respectively.203204 Boston's annual St. Patrick's Day parade and "Harborfest" a week-long Fourth of July celebration featuring a fireworks display and concert by the Boston Pops as well as a turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor by USS Constitution205 are popular events. The New England Summer Nationals an auto show in Worcester draws tens of thousands of attendees every year.206 Media See also: List of television stations in Massachusetts List of newspapers in Massachusetts and List of radio stations in Massachusetts There are two major television media markets located in Massachusetts. The Boston/Manchester market is the fifth largest in the United States.207 All major networks are represented. The other market surrounds the Springfield area. WGBH-TV in Boston is a major public television station and produces national programs such as Nova Frontline and American Experience.208209 The Boston Globe Boston Herald Springfield Republican and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette are the commonwealth's largest daily newspapers.210 In addition there are many community dailies and weeklies. There are a number of major AM and FM stations which serve Massachusetts211 along with many more regional and community-based stations. Some colleges and universities also operate campus television and radio stations and print their own newspapers.212213214215216 Health See also: List of hospitals in Massachusetts Massachusetts generally ranks highly among states in most health and disease prevention categories. In 2009 the United Health Foundation ranked the state as third healthiest overall.217 However the study also pointed to several areas in which Massachusetts ranked below average such as the state's rate of binge drinking which was the 11th highest in the country.217 Massachusetts has the most doctors per 100000 residents218 the second lowest infant mortality rate219 and the lowest percentage of uninsured residents (for both children as well as the total population).220 According to Businessweek commonwealth residents have an average life expectancy of 78.4 years the fifth longest in the country.221 37.2% of the population is overweight and 21.7% is obese222 and Massachusetts ranks sixth highest in the percentage of residents who are considered neither obese nor overweight (41.1%).222 The nation's first Marine Hospital was erected by federal order in Boston in 1799.223224 The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine lists a total of 132 hospitals in the state.225 According to rankings by US News & World Report Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is the third best overall hospital in the nation;226 the hospital also ranked first in psychiatry.227 Massachusetts General was founded in 1811 and serves as the largest teaching hospital for nearby Harvard University.228 Other teaching and medical institutions affiliated with Harvard include Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute among others.229 Boston is also the location of New England Baptist Hospital Tufts Medical Center and Boston Medical Center the latter of which is the primary teaching hospital for Boston University.230 The University of Massachusetts Medical School is located in Worcester.231 Sports and recreation Organized sports TD Garden in Boston is home to the Boston Celtics of the NBA. The Olympic sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in Western Massachusetts (in Springfield and Holyoke respectively.) The Basketball Hall of Fame a shrine to the sport's history is a major tourist destination in the City of Springfield. The Volleyball Hall of Fame is located in Holyoke.232 Massachusetts has a long history with amateur athletics and professional teams. Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. Massachusetts teams have won five Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins)233 seventeen NBA Championships (Boston Celtics)234 three Super Bowls (New England Patriots)235 and eight World Series (seven for the Boston Red Sox one for the Boston Braves).236 The American Hockey League (AHL) the NHL's development league is headquartered in Springfield. Other professional sports teams in Massachusetts include the Springfield Falcons AHL team the Worcester Sharks AHL team and the Springfield Armor NBA Development League team. Massachusetts is also the home of the Cape Cod Baseball League rowing events such as the Eastern Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester and the Head of the Charles Regatta237238 and the Boston Marathon.239 A number of major golf events have taken place in Massachusetts including nine U.S. Opens and two Ryder Cups among others.240241242 The New England Revolution is the Major League Soccer team in Massachusetts243 and the Boston Cannons are the Major League Lacrosse team.244 Many universities in Massachusetts are active in college athletics. There are a number of NCAA Division I teams in the state involved in multiple sports: Harvard University Boston College Boston University Northeastern University College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.245246247 Outdoor recreation Long-distance hiking trails in Massachusetts include the Appalachian Trail the New England National Scenic Trail the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail the Midstate Trail and the Bay Circuit Trail.248249 Other outdoor recreational activities in the commonwealth include sailing and yachting freshwater and deep-sea fishing250 whale watching251 downhill and cross-country skiing252 and hunting. See also North America portal United States portal Massachusetts portal Main articles: Outline of Massachusetts and Index of Massachusetts-related articles Massachusetts in 2010 Massachusetts in 2009 References Notes "Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 2 Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealth". The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/2-35.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-29.  a b c "Population Housing Units Area and Density (geographically ranked by total population): 2000". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTablebmn&langen&mtnameDEC2000SF1UGCTPH1RUS9S&formatUS-9S&boxheadnbrGCT-PH1-R&dsnameDEC2000SF1U&geoid01000US. Retrieved 2010-05-30.  "2010 Census Data". United States Census Bureau. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/. Retrieved 2010-12-22.  a b c "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest. Retrieved November 6 2006.  William Wallace Tooker. Algonquian Names of some Mountains and Hills. 1904. Salwen Bert 1978. Indians of Southern New England and Long Island: Early Period. In "Northeast" ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of "Handbook of North American Indians" ed. William C. Sturtevant pp. 160176. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Quoted in: Campbell Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press pg. 401 Bright William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press pg. 270 "East Squantum Street (Moswetuset Hummock)". Quincy Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey. Thomas Crane Public Library. 1986. http://thomascranelibrary.org/htm/436.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-24.  Neal Daniel (1747). "XIV: The Present State of New England". The history of New-England. 2 (2 ed.). London: Printed for A. Ward. p. 216. OCLC 8616817. http://books.google.com/idu3opAAAAYAAJ&pgPA216. Retrieved 2009-06-24.  "Part One: Concise Facts - Name". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1a.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.  "Kentucky as a Commonwealth". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. http://www.kdla.ky.gov/resources/KYCommonwealth.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.  "Charles River Watershed". Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. http://www.mass.gov/pageIDeoeeaterminal&L4&L0Home&L1Air%2C+Water+%26+Climate+Change&L2Preserving+Water+Resources&L3Massachusetts+Watersheds&sidEoeea&bterminalcontent&feeawatercharles&csidEoeea. Retrieved 2010-05-23.  The North Quabbin Woods: www.northquabbinwoods.org Massachusetts Cities and TownsPDF (390 KB) (map; see text on map). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 14 2007. http://www.foreverfarmland.org/ a b c d e f "Massachusetts". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/state/MA/. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Massachusetts State Parks". Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/listing.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Trail Maps". 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United States Geological Survey. http://landcovertrends.usgs.gov/east/eco59Report.html. Retrieved 2009-10-17.  a b c "State Mammal List". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/mammals/mammallist.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-17.  "Peregrine Falcon". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/speciesinfo/nhfacts/falcoperegrinus.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Eastern Coyote in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/livingwithcoyotes.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Wild Turkey in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/pdf/living%20withturkeys.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Moose in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/livingwithmoose.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Black Bears in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/livingwithbears.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-26.  "Atlantic Flyway". University of Nebraska. http://www.unl.edu/nac/atlas/MapHtml/Biodiversity/National/Atlanticflyway/AtlanticFlyway.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.  "Common Loon". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/speciesinfo/nhfacts/gaviaimmer.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-28.  "Telemetry Research:Long-Tailed Ducks". Mass Audubon. http://www.massaudubon.org/ConservationScience/Tracking/LTDUresearch.php. Retrieved 2010-05-28.  "Roseate Tern". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/speciesinfo/nhfacts/roseatetern.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-28.  "Coastal Waterbird Program". Mass Audubon. http://www.massaudubon.org/cwp/. Retrieved 2010-05-28.  "Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge - Wildlife and Habitat". 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Retrieved 2009-07-30. ; DOI: 10.3201/e0di1602.090276 Marr JS and Cathey JT "New hypothesis for cause of an epidemic among Native Americans New England 16161619" Emerging Infectious Disease 2010 Feb. Koplow p. 13. Goldfield et al. pp. 29-30. Goldfield et al. p. 30. Goldfield et al. p. 29. Brown and Tager pp. 30-32. Brown and Tager p. 29. a b Brown and Tager pp. 29-30. a b Brown and Tager pp. 45-45. a b c Goldfield et al. p. 66. Brebner pp. 203-233. U.S.G.S. Historic Earthquakes: The Great Earthquake of 1755 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/17551118hs.php accessed February 7 2011; Memorandum Boston Gazette November 24 1755 p. 1. Goldfield et al. pp. 86-88. Goldfield et al. pp. 88-90. Goldfield et al. pp. 95-96. Goldfield et al. pp. 96-97. "Massachusetts Legal Holidays". Secretary of the Commonwealth. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.  a b c d "John Adams Biography". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/adam/john-adams-biography.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-30.  "Massachusetts Constitution Judicial Review and Slavery  The Quock Walker Case". Massachusetts Judicial Branch. 2007. http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/constitution-slavery-e.html. Retrieved 11 December 2009.  The Constitution of the Vermont Republic adopted in 1777 prohibited involuntary servitude. Vermont became a state in 1791 and subsequently ratified a newer constitution in 1793. The Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 2 made Pennsylvania the first state to abolish slavery by statute.3 "Shays Rebellion". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/spar/historyculture/shays-rebellion.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-22.  "The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/cabinet/february2003/february2003.htm. 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Retrieved October 19 2009.  http://www.mass.gov/pageIDafterminal&L4&L0Home&L1Research+%26+Technology&L2Research+State+%26+Local+History&L3Massachusetts+History&sidEoaf&bterminalcontent&flibmassresourcesmasshistfactsmasshistoryhighlights&csidEoaf http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2011/02/09/1961-masive-snowstorm-inundates-capeblog161 Harris Patricia; Lyon David (2010-01-31). "Museum will have you wanting the car keys". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/31/museumwillhaveyouwantingthecarkeys/.  Brown and Tager p. 246. Brown and Tager p. 276. http://www.uml.edu/com/cita/05paperforrantmuckensturm.pdf Brown and Tager pp. 275-283. a b Brown and Tager p. 284. "Biography: Edward Moore Kennedy". American Experience. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/kennedys-bio-edward-kennedy/. Retrieved 2010-05-28.  "The Kennedys: A Family Tree". 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Head of the Charles Regatta. http://www.hocr.org/about/history.asp. Retrieved 2010-06-06.  "114th Boston Maraton". Boston Athletic Association. http://www.bostonmarathon.org/bostonmarathon/114thmarathon.asp. Retrieved 2010-06-06.  "2009 U.S. Open  Past Champions". United States Golf Association. http://usga.usopen.com/2009/history/past-champions.html. Retrieved October 21 2009.  "Past Results". Ryder Cup. http://www.rydercup.com/2010/usa/history/pastresults.html. Retrieved October 21 2009. dead link "Deutsche Bank Championship". Professional Golfers' Association of America. http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r505/. Retrieved October 21 2009.  "Stadium Information". Gillette Stadium. http://www.gillettestadium.com/stadiuminformation/. Retrieved October 21 2009.  "MLL Standings". Major League Lacrosse. http://mll-boston.stats.pointstreak.com/standings.htmlleagueid323&seasonid3806. Retrieved October 21 2009.  "College Football Teams (FBS and FCS)". 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Massachusetts Department of Tourism. http://www.massvacation.com/outdoor/skiing-snowboarding.php. Retrieved 2010-06-05.  Bibliography Brebner John Bartlet (1927). New England's outpost : Acadia before the conquest of Canada. New York NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0781263670.  Brettell Caroline (2003). Anthropology and Migration:Essays on Transnational Ethnicity and Identity. Walnut Creek CA: AltaMira Press. ISBN 0759103208.  Brown Richard D.; Tager Jack (2000). Massachusetts: A Concise History. Amherst MA: University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 1558492488.  Dejnozka Edward L.; Gifford Charles S.; Kapel David E.; Kapel Marilyn B.; (1982). American Educators' Encyclopedia. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313209545.  Goldfield David; Abbott Carl; Anderson Virginia DeJohn; Argersinger Jo Ann E.; Argersinger Peter H; Barney William L.; & Weir Robert M. (1998). The American Journey - A History of the United States. Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 013656562X.  Koplow David A. (2004). Smallpox:The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scurge. Berkeley CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0520242203.  Sokolow Alvin D. (1997). "Town and Township Government: Serving Rural and Suburban Communities". Handbook of Local Government Administration. New York NY: Marcel Dekker Inc.. ISBN 0824797825.  Further reading Overviews and surveys Hall Donald. ed. The Encyclopedia of New England (2005) Works Progress Administration. Guide to Massachusetts (1939) Secondary sources Abrams Richard M. Conservatism in a Progressive Era: Massachusetts Politics 1900-1912 (1964) Adams James Truslow. Revolutionary New England 1691-1776 (1923) Adams James Truslow. New England in the Republic 1776-1850 (1926) Andrews Charles M. The Fathers of New England: A Chronicle of the Puritan Commonwealths (1919) short survey Conforti Joseph A. Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century (2001) Cumbler John T. Reasonable Use: The People the Environment and the State New England 1790-1930 (1930) environmental history Fischer David Hackett. Paul Revere's Ride (1994) 1775 in depth Flagg Charles Allcott A Guide to Massachusetts local history Salem : Salem Press Company 1907. Green James R. William F. Hartford and Tom Juravich. Commonwealth of Toil: Chapters in the History of Massachusetts Workers and Their Unions (1996) Huthmacher J. Joseph. Massachusetts People and Politics 1919-1933 (1958) Labaree Benjamin Woods. Colonial Massachusetts: A History (1979) Morison Samuel Eliot. The Maritime History of Massachusetts 1783-1860 (1921) Peirce Neal R. The New England States: People Politics and Power in the Six New England States (1976) 196075 era Porter Susan L. Women of the Commonwealth: Work Family and Social Change in Nineteenth-Century Massachusetts (1996) Sletcher Michael. New England (2004). Starkey Marion L. The Devil in Massachusetts (1949) Salem witches Tager Jack and John W. Ifkovic eds. Massachusetts in the Gilded Age: Selected Essays (1985) ethnic groups Zimmerman Joseph F. The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action (1999) External links Find more about Massachusetts on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks OpenStreetMap has geographic data related to: Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts at the Open Directory Project Massachusetts Historical Society Energy Profile for Massachusetts- Economic environmental and energy data USGS real-time geographic and other scientific resources of Massachusetts Massachusetts Geological Survey Maps of Massachusetts 1837 descriptions of Massachusetts cities towns mountains lakes and rivers from Hayward's New England Gazetteer. Massachusetts State Symbols Miscellaneous Massachusetts Facts Massachusetts State Facts from USDA Massachusetts Constitution and Laws Massachusetts Tourism Board Maritime History of Massachusetts a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Atlases of Massachusetts. 1871-Walling&Gray 1891-Walker 1892-Mass. 1904-Walker. Large Images at Salemdeeds. 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Howe Forbush  Egg Rock   Grace A. Robson  J.C. Phillips  Knight  Penikese Island   Ram Island (Salisbury)  Ram Island (Mattapoisett)  Susan B. Minns  Tarpaulin Cove  Watatic Mountain  Private The Nature Conservancy Roger and Virginia Drury Preserve  Tatkon Preserve  McElwain-Olsen Preserve  Reed Brook Preserve  Hawley Bog Preserve  Stacy Mountain Preserve  Greene Swamp Preserve  Black Pond Bog Nature Preserve  Halfway Pond Island Preserve  Grassy Pond Preserve  Boat Meadow Preserve  Sandy Neck Preserve  Hockomock Swamp  David H. Smith Preserve and Fire Trail  Hoft Farm Preserve  Katama Plains Preserve  Francis Newhall Woods Nature and Wildlife Preserve  Miacomet Moors Preserve  Homer-Watcha Preserve  Trustees of Reservations Agassiz Rock  Appleton Farms  Appleton Farms Grass Rides  Ashintully Gardens  Bartholomew's Cobble  Bear's Den  Bear Swamp  Colonel John Ashley House  Francis William Bird Park  Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate  Bridge Island Meadows  Brooks Woodland Preserve  William Cullen Bryant Homestead  Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge  Cedariver  Castle Hill  Chapel Brook  Charles River Peninsula  Chase Woodlands  Chesterfield Gorge  Coolidge Reservation  Copicut Woods  Cormier Woods  Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge  Crane Beach  Crane Wildlife Refuge  Crowninshield Island  Dexter Drumlin  Dinosaur Footprints  Doane's Falls  Doyle Reservation  Dry Hill  East Over Reservation  Elliott Laurel  Field Farm  Fork Factory Brook  Glendale Falls  Goose Pond Reservation  Greenwood Farm  Halibut Point Reservation  Hamlin Reservation  Holmes Reservation  Governor Hutchinson's Field  Jacobs Hill  Little Tom Mountain  Long Hill  Long Point Wildlife Refuge  Lowell Holly Reservation  Lyman Reserve  Malcolm Preserve  Mashpee River Reservation  McLennan Reservation  Medfield Meadow Lots  Medfield Rhododendrons  Menemsha Hills  Misery Islands  Mission House  Monument Mountain  Moose Hill Farm  Mount Ann Park  Mountain Meadow Preserve  Mytoi  Naumkeag  Noanet Woodlands  Noon Hill  Norris Reservation  North Common Meadow  Norton Point Beach  Notchview  Old Manse  Old Town Hill  Peaked Mountain  Pegan Hill  Peters Reservation  Petticoat Hill  Pierce Reservation  Pine and Hemlock Knoll  Powisset Farm  Questing  Quinebaug Woods  Ravenswood Park  Redemption Rock  Rock House Reservation  Rocky Narrows  Rocky Woods  Royalston Falls  Shattuck Reservation  Signal Hill  Slocum's River Reserve  Stavros Reservation  The Stevens-Coolidge Place  Swift River Reservation  Tantiusques  Tully Lake Campground  Two Mile Farm  Tyringham Cobble  Ward Reservation  Wasque  Weir Hill  Weir River Farm  Westport Town Farm  Whitney and Thayer Woods  World's End  Other Harvard Forest Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (Massachusetts) v d eMayors of cities with populations exceeding 100000 in Massachusetts     Thomas Menino (Boston) Joseph C. O'Brien (Worcester) Domenic J Sarno (Springfield) Edward C. Caulfield (Lowell) David Maher (Cambridge) State capital: Deval Patrick (Boston) v d eNew England Topics Flag Culture Cuisine Geography Economy Government History Population Sports States Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont Major cities Boston Bridgeport Burlington Cambridge Hartford Lowell Manchester New Haven Portland Providence Quincy Springfield Stamford Waterbury Worcester State capitals Augusta Boston Concord Hartford Montpelier Providence Transportation Rail MBTA (MA and RI)   Northeast Corridor (CT MA and RI)   Acela Express (CT MA and RI)   Downeaster (ME NH and MA)   Vermonter (CT MA and VT)   Shore Line East (CT)   Metro-North Railroad (CT and NY) Air Bradley International Airport (CT)   Portland International Jetport (ME)   Logan International Airport (MA)   Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (NH)   T. F. 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