Massachusetts

Massachusetts (officially, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts) is a state in the New England region of the United States of America. Its nickname is the Bay State. Other nicknames are the Old Colony State, and less commonly the Puritan state and the Baked Bean state. On December 18, 1990, the Legislature decided that the people of the Commonwealth would be designated as Bay Staters.

History

Early settlement

Various Algonquin tribes inhabited the area prior to European settlement. In the Massachusetts Bay area, the Massachusett resided. Near the Vermont and New Hampshire borders and the Merrimack River valley was the traditional home of the Pennacook tribe. Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and southeast Massachusetts were the home of the Wampanoag, who the Pilgrims met. The extreme end of the Cape was inhabited by the closely related Nauset tribe. Much of the central portion and the Connecticut River valley was home to the loosely organized Nipmuc peoples. The Berkshires were the home of both the Pocomtuc and the Mahican tribes. Spillovers of Narragansett and Mohegan from Rhode Island and Connecticut, respectively, were also present. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, whose name means "a large hill place" in reference to a small mountain known today as "Blue Hill" (located on the boundary of Milton and Canton, just south of Boston). The Massachusett were all but wiped out by a plague shortly after the arrival of Captain John Smith in 1614. The Pilgrims from the Humber region of England established their settlement at Plymouth in 1620, arriving on the Mayflower. Until 1691 when they merged, Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony were separate colonies.

Related Topics:
Algonquin - Massachusett - Vermont - New Hampshire - Cape Cod - Nantucket - Martha's Vineyard - Wampanoag - Nauset - Connecticut River - Nipmuc - Berkshires - Pocomtuc - Mahican - Narragansett - Mohegan - Rhode Island - Connecticut - Massachusetts Bay Colony - Milton - Canton - Captain John Smith - Pilgrims - Humber - England - Plymouth - Mayflower - Plymouth Colony

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Massachusetts Bay Colony period (1629-1686)

The Pilgrims were soon followed by the Puritans from the River Thames region of England, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Although the Puritans came to Massachusetts for religious freedom, they were not particularly tolerant of any other religion than theirs. Pilgrims, as well as Anglicans, Quakers, and a handful of other denominations were grudgingly accepted in the Puritan communities for a time, although Quakers were banned, and in 1660 four were hanged on Boston Common (see Mary Dyer). People such as Anne Hutchinson, Roger Williams, and Thomas Hooker left Massachusetts and went South because of the Puritans' lack of religious tolerance. Williams ended up founding the colony of Rhode Island and Hooker founded Connecticut. King Philip's War (1675-1676), the bloodiest Indian war of the early colonial period, included major campaigns in the Pioneer Valley and Plymouth Colony. It took many years for the colonies of southern New England to recover from the effects of the war.

Related Topics:
Puritan - River Thames - England - Massachusetts Bay Colony - Quaker - 1660 - Boston Common - Mary Dyer - Anne Hutchinson - Roger Williams - Thomas Hooker - Rhode Island - Connecticut - King Philip's War - 1675 - 1676 - Indian war - Pioneer Valley - Plymouth Colony - New England

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Dominion of New England (1686-1692)

In May of 1686, the Massachusetts Bay Colony came to an end, as Joseph Dudley became President of New England under a commission of King James II. He established his authority later in New Hampshire and the King's Province (part of today's Rhode Island), maintaining this position until Sir Edmund Andros arrived to become the Royal Governor of the Dominion of New England. Dudley continued on as a member of Governor Andros' council.

Related Topics:
Joseph Dudley - Sir Edmund Andros - Dominion of New England

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At the news of the accession of William and Mary, the Boston colonials rebelled. Andros and his officials were held on Castle Island and then sent back to England as prisoners. Andros was exonerated and went on to become Governor of Virginia (1692–98).

Related Topics:
William and Mary - Castle Island - England - Virginia

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Royal Colony of Massachusetts (1692-1774)

Notable governors during this period were Thomas Hutchinson, Sir Francis Bernard, and Thomas Gage. Gage was the last British governor of Massachusetts.

Related Topics:
Thomas Hutchinson - Sir Francis Bernard - Thomas Gage - British

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Revolutionary Massachusetts (1760s-1780s)

Massachusetts was the first colony to revolt against British rule, and thus the instigator of the American Revolution. On February 9, 1775, the British Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in rebellion, and sent additional troops to restore order to the colony.

Related Topics:
American Revolution - February 9 - 1775 - British Parliament

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In Boston on March 5, 1770, an African-American named Crispus Attucks, from Framingham, was killed (along with four other American colonists) at an event that became known as the Boston Massacre; Attucks is often considered the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Related Topics:
March 5 - 1770 - African-American - Crispus Attucks - Framingham - Boston Massacre

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Several early Revolutionary battles took place in Massachusetts, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord (where the famous shot heard 'round the world was fired), the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston.

Related Topics:
Battles of Lexington and Concord - Shot heard 'round the world - Battle of Bunker Hill - Siege of Boston

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1780-present)

A Constitutional Convention drew up a Constitution drafted mainly by John Adams, and the people ratified it on June 15, 1780. At that time, Adams along with Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin wrote in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, 1780:

Related Topics:
Constitution - John Adams - June 15 - 1780 - Samuel Adams - James Bowdoin - Constitution of the Commonwealth

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"We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe, in affording us, in the course of His Providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprize, on entering into an Original, explicit, and Solemn Compact with each other; and of forming a new Constitution of Civil Government, for Ourselves and Posterity, and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, Do agree upon, ordain and establish, the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

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Today, it is the oldest functioning written constitution in the world.

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Other notable history

• John Hancock was the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• On February 6, 1788 Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
• According to a 1790 census, Massachusetts had a zero population of slaves.
• On March 15, 1820 the area of Maine was separated from Massachusetts, of which it had been a non-contiguous part, and entered the Union as the 23rd State.
• Basketball was invented in Massachusetts, as was Volleyball. The earliest reference to Baseball was also in Massachusetts, in the city of Pittsfield.
• Battles of Lexington and Concord, Siege of Boston, Bunker Hill, and Shays' Rebellion
• Massachusetts contains many historic houses (See Historic houses in Massachusetts for more details).