Wikijunior:North America/United States/Massachusetts

The location of Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north. The state's capital and largest city is Boston. Other big cities in Massachusetts include Worcester, Springfield, and Cambridge.

The Flag of Massachusetts

History

The Plymouth Colony was first established by Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was later established in 1630. In 1691, Plymouth, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and present-day Maine were combined to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Protests against British taxes in Boston would later lead to the American Revolution. Massachusetts officially became a state on February 6, 1788.

Geography

Massachusetts has a total area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km²). It is the 7th smallest state. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to the east, Connecticut to the southwest, Rhode Island to the southeast, New Hampshire to the northeast, Vermont to the northwest, and New York to the west.

Eastern Massachusetts is defined by the Atlantic coastal plain, where most of the state's population resides. Western Massachusetts is primarily rural with rolling hills. The Berkshires, which form part of the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains, lie in the far western part of the state. The state's coastline is defined by several large bays.

Cape Cod

People

In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Massachusetts was 7,033,469. English is the most spoken language (78.93%), followed by Spanish (7.50%), Portuguese (2.97%), Chinese (1.59%), French (1.11%), French Creole (0.89%), Italian (0.72%), Russian (0.62%), and Vietnamese (0.58%).

In 2020, 71.4% of people in Massachusetts were White/Caucasian, 12.6% were Hispanic/Latino, 8.2% were Black, 8.2% were Asian, and 0.9% were Native American.

State Symbols

• The state's official nickname is The Bay State. Other unofficial nicknames include The Pilgrim State, The Puritan State, The Old Colony State, and The Baked Bean State
• The state motto is "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem". It is Latin for "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty".
• The state colors are blue, green, and cranberry
• The state flower is the Mayflower
• The state tree is the American elm
• The state bird is the chickadee
• The state beverage is cranberry juice
• The state horse is the Morgan horse
• The state insect is the ladybug
• The state fish is the Atlantic cod
• The state dog is the Boston Terrier
• The state gem is Rhodonite
• The state marine mammal is the right whale
• The state fossil is the dinosaur track
• The state mineral is Babingtonite
• The state song is "All Hail to Massachusetts"
• The state folk song is "Massachusetts" by Arlo Guthrie
• The state poem is "Blue Hills of Massachusetts"
• The state rock is Roxbury puddingstone
• The state historical rock is Plymouth Rock
• The state explorer rock is Dighton Rock
• The state building and monument stone is granite
• The state heroine is Deborah Simpson
• The state hero is Samuel Whittemore
• The state ceremonial march is "The Road to Boston"
• The state muffin is the corn muffin
• The state shell is the New England Neptune
• The state cat is the tabby cat
• The state patriotic song is "Massachusetts (Because Of You Our Land is Free)"
• The state folk dance is the square dance
• The state soil is the Paxton soil series
• The state Vietnam veteran's memorial is the Worcester Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
• The state game bird is the wild turkey
• The state Southwest Asia War Veteran's Memorial is the Worcester Southwest Asia War Veteran's Memorial
• The state bean is the baked navy bean
• The state berry is the cranberry
• The state folk hero is Johnny Appleseed
• The state dessert is the Boston Cream Pie
• The state cookie is the chocolate chip cookie
• The state Glee club song is "The Great State of Massachusetts"
• The state polka is "Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts"
• The state peace statue is the Orange Peace Statue
• The state Korean War Memorial is the Charlestown Navy Yard Korean War Memorial
• The state ode is "Ode to Massachusetts"
• The state MIA/POW memorial is the Massachusetts National MIA/POW Memorial
• The state children's book is Make Way for Ducklings
• The state children's author and children's illustrator is Theodor Geisel/Dr. Seuss
• The state donut is the Boston cream donut
• The state blues artist is Taj Mahal
• The state sport is basketball
• The state inventor is Benjamin Franklin
• The state reptile is the garter snake
• The state artist is Norman Rockwell
• The state dinosaur is Podokesaurus holyokensis