Massachusetts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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) By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty
State song(s): "All Hail to Massachusetts"
Official language	English[1]
Spoken languages	English 77.4% Spanish 8.6% Portuguese 2.8% Chinese 2.1%[2]
Demonym	Bay Stater (official)[3] Massachusite (traditional)[4][5] Massachusettsian[citation needed]
Capital (and largest city)	Boston
Largest metro	Greater Boston
Area	Ranked 44th
• Total	10,565[6] sq mi (27,336 km2)
• Width	183 miles (295 km)
• Length	113 miles (182 km)
• % water	25.7
• Latitude	41° 14′ N to 42° 53′ N
• Longitude	69° 56′ W to 73° 30′ W
Population	Ranked 15th
• Total	6,794,422 (2015 est)[7]
• Density	840/sq mi  (324/km2) Ranked 3rd[8]
• Median household income	$67,861[9] (7th)
Elevation
• Highest point	Mount Greylock[10][11] 3,489 ft (1063.4 m)
• Mean	500 ft  (150 m)
• Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean sea level
Before statehood	Province of Massachusetts Bay
Admission to Union	February 6, 1788 (6th)
Governor	Charlie Baker (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Karyn Polito (R)
Legislature	General Court
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Elizabeth Warren (D) Ed Markey (D)
U.S. House delegation	9 Democrats (list)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4
ISO 3166	US-MA
Abbreviations	MA, Mass.
Website	www.mass.gov

[show]Massachusetts state symbols

Massachusetts ⁱ/ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsᵻts/ mass-ə-CHOO-sits or /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːzᵻts/ mass-ə-CHOO-zits; officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named for the Massachusett tribe, which once inhabited the area. The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston. Over 80% of Massachusetts' population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry.^[42] Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade,^[43] Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution.^[44] During the 20th century, Massachusetts' economy shifted from manufacturing to services.^[45] Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.^[46]
Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the Mayflower. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials.^[47] In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, including interchangeable parts.^[48] In 1786, Shays' Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention.^[49] In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept the Atlantic World, originated from the pulpit of Northampton preacher Jonathan Edwards.^[50] In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"^[51] for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution.
The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a powerful commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance,^[52] and transcendentalist^[53] movements.^[54] In the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively.^[55][56] In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.^[57] Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams and Kennedy families. Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States,^[58] with the largest financial endowment of any university,^[59] and Harvard Law School has educated a contemporaneous majority of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.^[60] Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010.^[61][62] Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world.^[63] Massachusetts' public school students place among the top nations in the world in academic performance.^[64]