Portal:Massachusetts

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology State Quarter Massachusetts i/ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsᵻts/, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is the 7th smallest, but the 14th most populous and the 3rd most densely populated of the 50 United States, and has the United States' sixth highest GDP per capita. Massachusetts has played a significant historical, cultural, and commercial role in American history. Plymouth was the site of the colony founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims. Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Protestant First Great Awakening 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. In 1786, a populist revolt led directly to the Constitutional Convention. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the temperance, transcendentalist, and abolitionist movements. In the late 19th century, basketball and volleyball were invented in Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage. Originally dependent on fishing, agriculture, and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, Massachusetts' economy shifted from manufacturing to services. In the 21st century, Massachusetts is a leader in higher education, health care technology, high technology, and financial services. More about Massachusetts... The Siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within. After eleven months of siege, the American colonists, led by George Washington, forced the British to withdraw by sea. The siege began on April 19 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, when the militia from many Massachusetts communities surrounded Boston and blocked land access to the then-peninsular town, limiting British resupply to naval operations. The Continental Congress chose to adopt the militia and form the Continental Army, and unanimously elected George Washington as its Commander in Chief. In June 1775, the British seized Bunker and Breed's Hills, but the casualties they suffered were heavy and their gains were insufficient to break the siege. For the rest of the siege, there was little action other than occasional raids, minor skirmishes, and sniper fire. Both sides had to deal with resource supply and personnel issues over the course of the siege, and engaged in naval operations in the contest for resources. In November 1775, Washington sent a 25 year-old bookseller-turned-soldier named Henry Knox to bring heavy artillery that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. In a technically complex and demanding operation, Knox brought many cannons to the Boston area in January 1776. In March 1776, these artillery pieces were used to fortify Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston and its harbor and threatening the British naval supply lifeline. The British commander William Howe, realizing he could no longer hold the town, chose to evacuate it. He withdrew the British forces, departing on March 17 (celebrated today as Evacuation Day) for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sir Henry Vane was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor. He was briefly present in North America, serving one term as the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and supported the creation of Roger Williams' Rhode Island Colony and Harvard College. A proponent of religious tolerance, he returned to England in 1637 following the Antinomian controversy that led to the banning of Anne Hutchinson from Massachusetts, and became a leading force in English politics during the years of the English Civil War. Vane was recognized by his political peers as a competent administrator and a wily and persuasive negotiator and politician. His politics was driven by a desire for religious tolerance in an era when governments were used to establish official churches and suppress dissenting views. Although his views were in a small minority, he was able to successfully build coalitions to advance his agenda. His actions were often ultimately divisive, and contributed to both the rise and downfall of the English Commonwealth. His books and pamphlets written on political and religious subjects are still analyzed today, and Vane is remembered in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as an early champion of religious freedom. Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Quincy is the birthplace of former U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as statesman John Hancock. It was named after Colonel John Quincy, maternal grandfather of Abigail Adams and after whom John Quincy Adams was also named. Prior to the settlement of the area by English colonists, a hill east of the mouth of the Neponset River near what is now called Squantum was the seat of the ruling Massachusett sachem, or native American leader, Chickatawbut. Called Moswetuset Hummock, it was visited by Plymouth Colony commander Myles Standish and Squanto, a native guide, in 1621. The area was first incorporated as part of Dorchester in 1630, and was briefly annexed by Boston in 1634. Following the American Revolution, Quincy was officially incorporated as a separate town in 1792, and was made a city in 1888. Quicny is home to the Granite Railway, the first commercial railroad in the United States. The city has historically been known for its stonecutting and shipbuilding industries, and as the origin of the Howard Johnson's and Dunkin' Donuts restaurant chains. Joseph E. Baker's 1892 lithograph, depicting the Salem witch trials Location of Massachusetts in the United States Capital: Boston Governor: Charlie Baker (R) Lieutenant Governor: Karyn Polito (R) Secretary of the Commonwealth: William F. Galvin (D) Attorney General: Maura Healey (D) Treasurer: Deb Goldberg (D) Auditor: Suzanne M. Bump (D) U.S. Senators: Elizabeth Warren (D), Ed Markey (D) Area: Ranked 44th in the US Total: 10,555 sq miles (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: Total: 6,349,097 (13th in U.S.) Population Density: 809.8/sq miles (312.7/km²) (3rd in U.S.) Median income: $ 46,721 (3rd, 2006) Elevation: Highest point: Mount Greylock 3,491 ft (1,064 m) Mean: 500 ft (150 m) Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 ft (0 m) Ratification of Constitution: February 6, 1788 (6th) Atlas of Massachusetts with Greater Boston highlighted ... that Nathaniel Ames, publisher of the first annual American almanac, avoided arrest by replacing his vituperative cartoon of local judges with a biblical quotation? ... that during the Antinomian Controversy, Anne Hutchinson withstood two separate trials without counsel before being banished from Massachusetts? ... that Mary Hallaren was the first woman to join the United States Army? ... that although Massachusetts is located at the 42nd parallel north, some of its rocks originated near the South Pole? ... that The Cyclone at Revere Beach was the world's first roller coaster to reach 100 feet (30 m) in height? Read more... Featured articles 2 Featured lists 2 Featured pictures 2 North America United States New England Boston Cape Cod and the Islands U.S. Roads Connecticut New Hampshire New York Rhode Island Vermont Mitt Romney U.S. states Massachusetts Massachusetts State Highways Boston Boston Celtics Boston Red Sox Universities Template:/box-header {{Wikipedia:WikiProject Massachusetts/to do}} Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header What are portals? List of portals Featured portals