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Massachusetts
In 1620, a ship called the Mayflower
sailed from England. It carried about 100 people who wanted to settle in
Virginia, a colony in the New World. The ship went off course and reached a
rocky shore far north of Virginia. The settlers, who were later called
Pilgrims, decided to stay. They founded Massachusetts.
Massachusetts was named after a group of Native
Americans. The Massachuset people lived around Massachusetts Bay when the
Pilgrims first arrived.
Massachusetts is one of the New England states. It
has a population of about 6.4 million people. Boston is the state’s capital and
largest city. Many important events that led to the American Revolution
(1775-1783) took place in Boston. Massachusetts was the second of the 13
British colonies that eventually became the United States.
Facts About Massachusetts
|
|
Capital
|
Boston
|
Population
|
6,450,000
people
|
Rank
among states in population
|
13th
|
Major
cities
|
Boston,
Worcester, Springfield
|
Area
|
10,560
square miles
27,300 square kilometers |
Rank
among states in area
|
45th
|
Statehood
|
February
6, 1788, the 6th state
|
State
nickname
|
The Bay
State
|
Name
for residents
|
Massachusettsans
|
State
bird
|
Black-Capped
Chickadee
|
State
flower
|
Mayflower
|
State
tree
|
American
Elm
|
Abbreviation
|
MA
|
BOSTON
The Boston area is home to about 5.8 million
people. The city sits on Boston Harbor, an inlet of Massachusetts Bay at the
mouth of the Charles River.
Boston is an old city. Its downtown park,
called Boston Common, is the oldest public park in the United States. Its
subway system was the first in the United States. It opened in 1897.
The city is an important center for the arts.
Among its great institutions are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Museum
of Science. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops are two of the
world’s most famous symphonies.
Across the Charles River from Boston is Harvard
University. It was founded in 1636. It’s the oldest university in the United
States, and one of the best-known schools in the world.
THE BAY STATE
Massachusetts is called the Bay State. That’s because
Massachusetts Bay dominates the state’s coast. Eastern Massachusetts has an
irregular, rocky shore. Cape Cod reaches way out into the ocean like an arm
flexing its muscles!
Cape Cod is a popular vacation spot. It has
fine beaches and shops. Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard—small, sandy islands
off the coast—are also popular places for vacations.
The interior of Massachusetts is dotted with small
lakes and ponds. Central and western Massachusetts are hilly or mountainous.
The Appalachian Mountains run through the western part of the state.
MARATHON AND MORE
Massachusetts is famous for sports. The Boston Marathon,
founded in 1897, is the oldest yearly marathon in the world. Every year in
April thousands of runners start in Hopkinton and race 26.2 miles (42.2
kilometers) to downtown Boston!
In 1891, James Naismith invented basketball in
Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, Springfield is home to the Basketball Hall
of Fame. Boston is home to the Celtics, one of professional basketball’s most famous
teams.
Massachusetts is also home to football’s New England
Patriots and hockey’s Boston Bruins. Boston’s Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox,
is the oldest ballpark in major league baseball.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Thanksgiving originated in Massachusetts. Another native
group, the Wampanoag, helped the Pilgrims survive their first difficult year in
the new colony. The Wampanoag taught them how to grow corn and catch fish. In
1621, the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared a meal to give thanks for the first
harvest in the New World. That was the first Thanksgiving feast.
REVOLUTION!
The American Revolution might not have happened without
Massachusetts. The Boston Massacre in 1770 was an early spark to the
Revolution. British troops shot and killed several citizens who were protesting
the troops’ presence in the city. Boston was also the site of the famous Boston
Tea Party in 1773. That’s when colonists protested a British tax on tea by
throwing tea from a ship into Boston Harbor.
The war of independence started in Massachusetts on
April 19, 1775. The war began with the “shot heard ‘round the world” at
Lexington, and the Battle of Concord the same day. The famous Battle of Bunker
Hill took place two months later just north of downtown Boston.
In Boston today, you can follow the Freedom
Trail. It connects 16 historic sites important to the Revolution. A red path
along the streets and sidewalks marks the Freedom Trail.
Tags
United States
