Over 50 facts about the state of Massachusetts

Massachusetts , officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine to the east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west.

The state’s capital and most populous city, as well as its cultural and financial center, is Boston. Massachusetts is also home to the urban core of Greater Boston, the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American history, academia, and the research economy.

Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing, and trade Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution.

During the 20th century, Massachusetts’s economy shifted from manufacturing to services.Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade

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List of facts

Massachusetts is officially known as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts state capital and most populous city is Boston
The state was named by an English explorer and colonist John Smith, after the Massachuset tribe
Massachusetts is a New England state and one of the original 13 colonies.
Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization: the Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims 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
In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the “Cradle of Liberty” for the agitation there that later led to the American Revolution.
In the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively

Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage
Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States
The Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated the American Revolutionary War and were fought in the Massachusetts towns
The Siege of Boston in the winter of 1775–76 was the first victory for George Washington, after which the British were forced to evacuate the city
In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory education laws
Massachusetts is the 7th-smallest state in the United States.
The Highest point in Massachusetts is Greylock at 3,491 feet
The first phone call in history was made in Boston on March 10, 1876.
The chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1930 at the Tollhouse Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.
In 1826, Massachusetts became home to the first railroad in the U.S.

Boston, Massachusetts is the headquarter of the world’s leading brand of safety razors “Gillette.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621.
Boston Common is the oldest public park in the United States of America. It opened in 1634
Quincy, Massachusetts is home to the first Dunkin Donuts.
Fig Newton cookies were named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts.
The first subway in America was built in Boston, Massachusetts in 1897. It is known as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway and is 78 miles long and has over 130 stations
The first lighthouse built in the United States was “Boston Light” located on Little Brewster Island in Boston, Massachusetts
The first post office in America opened in Boston in 1639

The American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Lowell was America’s first planned industrial city.
The birth control pill was invented at Clark University in Worcester.
There is a lake in Massachusetts called Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
Clarence Birdseye, developed the first freezer to quick-freeze fish and other foods
Elias Howe of Boston invented the first sewing machine in 1845.
Massachusetts is one of the nation’s leading producer of cranberries.
MA is the Two-letter or Postal Abbreviation and Mass. is the Traditional or Standard Abbreviation for the State of Massachusetts.

To protest the British tea tax, many Bostonians dumped tea from three British ships into the sea. The event is known as the Boston Tea Party.
The fourteen counties in Massachusetts are made up of 43 cities and 308 towns.
Massachusetts is home to Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
Massachusetts is home to five major league professional sports teams: seventeen-time NBA Champions Boston Celtics, nine-time World Series winners Boston Red Sox, six-time Stanley Cup winners Boston Bruins,six-time Super Bowl winners New England Patriots, and Major League Soccer team New England Revolution.
A number of major golf events have taken place in Massachusetts, including nine U.S. Opens and two Ryder Cups

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