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During the 19th century, Massachusetts became a national leader in the American Industrial Revolution, with factories around Boston producing textiles and shoes, and factories around Springfield producing precision manufacturing tools, paper, and textiles. The economy transformed from one based primarily on agriculture to an industrial one, initially making use of waterpower and later the steam engine to power factories, and canals and later railroads for transporting goods and materials. At first, the new industries drew labor from Yankees on nearby subsistence farms, and later relied upon immigrant labor from Europe and Canada.

In the years leading up to the Civil War, Massachusetts was a center of progressivism and abolitionist activity. Horace Mann made the state system of schools the national model. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson made major contributions to American thought. Members of the transcendentalist movement, they emphasized the importance of the natural world and emotion to humanity.

Although significant opposition to abolitionism existed early on in Massachusetts, resulting in anti-abolitionist riots between 1835 and 1837, opposition to slavery gradually increased in the next few decades. Abolitionists John Brown and Sojourner Truth lived in Springfield and Northampton, respectively, while Frederick Douglass lived in Boston. The works of such abolitionists contributed to Massachusetts' actions during the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first state to recruit, train, and arm a Black regiment with White officers, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston Common contains a relief depicting the 54th regiment.

20th century

The industrial economy began a decline in the early 20th century with the exodus of many manufacturing companies. By the 1920s competition from the South and Midwest, followed by the Great Depression, led to the collapse of the three main industries in Massachusetts: textiles, shoemaking, and precision mechanics. This decline would continue into the later half of the century; between 1950 and 1979, the number of Bay Staters involved in textile manufacturing declined from 264,000 to 63,000. The 1969 closure of the Springfield Armory, in particular, spurred an exodus of high-paying jobs from Western Massachusetts, which suffered greatly as it de-industrialized during the last 40 years of the 20th century.

Massachusetts manufactured 3.4 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking tenth among the 48 states. In Eastern Massachusetts, following World War II, the economy was transformed from one based on heavy industry into a service and high-tech based economy. Government contracts, private investment, and research facilities led to a new and improved industrial climate, with reduced unemployment and increased per capita income. Suburbanization flourished, and by the 1970s, the Route 128 corridor was dotted with high-technology companies who recruited http://www.umassmed.edu/about/index.aspx}}</ref> The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has campuses in both Boston and Worcester.

Sports and recreation

Organized sports

The Olympic sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in Western Massachusetts (in Springfield at Springfield Co name="MassPol1" /> The House consists of 160 members while the Senate has 40 members. Leaders of the House and Senate are chosen by the members of those bodies; the leader of the House is known as the Speaker while the leader of the Senate is known as the President. Each branch consists of several committees. Members of both bodies are elected to two-year terms.

The Judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Judicial Court, which serves over a number of lower courts. The Supreme Judicial Court is made up of a chief justice and six associate justices. Judicial appointments are made by the governor and confirmed by the executive council.

The Congressional delegation from Massachusetts is entirely Democratic. Currently, the US senators are Democrats Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. The members of the state's delegation to the US House of Representatives (all Democrats) llege and Holyoke, respectively). The Basketball Hall of Fame, a shrine to the sport's history, is a major tourist destination in the City of Springfield. The Volleyball Hall of Fame is located 20,306

Massachusetts /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsts/ , officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts is the 7th smallest, but the 14th most populous and the 3rd most densely populated of the 50 United States. Massachusetts features two separate metropolitan areas: Greater Boston in the eain Holyoke.

Massachusetts has a long history with amateur athletics and professional teams. Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. Massachusetts teams have won six Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins), seventeen NBA Championships (Boston Celtics), three Super Bowls (New England Patriots), and nine World Series (eight for the Boston Red Sox, one for the Boston Braves). The American Hockey League, (AHL,) the NHL's development league, is headquartered in Springfield. Other professional sports teams in Massachusetts include the Springfield Falcons AHL team, the Worcester Sharks AHL team, and the Springfield Armor NBA Development League team.

Massachusetts is also the home of the Cape Cod Baseball League, rowing events such as the Eastern Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester and the Head of the Charles Regatta, and the Boston Marathon.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Cities, towns, and counties

There are 50 cities and 301 towns in Massachusetts, grouped into 14 counties. The fourteen counties, moving roughly from west to east, are Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket. Eleven communities which call themselves "towns" are, by law, cities since they have traded the town meeting form of government for a mayor-council or manager-council form.

Boston is the state capital and largest city in Massachusetts. The population of the city proper is 609,023, and Greater Boston, with a population of 4,522,858, is the 10th largest metropolitan area in the nation. Other cities with a population over 100,000 include Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and Cambridge. Plymouth is the largest municipality in the state by land area.

Massachusetts, along with the five other New England states, features the local governmental structure known as the New England town. In this structure, incorporated towns—as opposed to townships or counties—hold many of the responsibilities and powers of local government. Some of the county governments were abolished by Massachusetts in 1997, and elect only a sheriff and registrar of deed who are part of the state government. Others have been reorganized, and a few still retain county councils.

Education

Massachusetts was the first state to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school with the passage of the Massachusetts Education Law of 1647, and 19th century reforms pushed by Horace Mann, founder of Westfield State University, laid much of the groundwork for contemporary universal public education. Massachusetts is home to the country's oldest public elementary school (The Mather School, founded in 1639), oldest high school (Boston Latin School, founded in 1635), oldest boarding school (The Governor's Academy, founded in 1763), oldest college (Harvard University, founded in 1636) and oldest women's college (Mount Holyoke College, founded in 1837).

In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws. The per-student public expo: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|format=CSV|work=2012 Population Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division|date=December 2012|accessdate=December 22, 2012}}</ref>

Massachusetts had an estimated 2012 population of 6,646,144. As of 2000, Massachusetts was estimated to be the third most densely populated U.S. state, with 809.8 people per square mile, behind New Jersey and Rhode Island. Massachusetts in 2008 included 919,771 foreign-born residents.

Most Bay Staters live within the Boston Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater Boston, which in its most expansive sense includes New England's two largest cities, Boston and Worcester. The state's only other metropolitan area is the Springfield Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater Springfield. Centered in the Connecticut River Valley, Greater Springfield includes the revitalizing city of Springfield, and an eclectic array of college towns, (e.g. Amherst and Northampton) and rural areas to the north and west. Geographically, the center of population of Massachusetts is located in the town of Natick.

Like the rest of the northeastern United States, the population of Massachusetts has continued to grow in the past few decades, although at a slower pace than states in the South or West. The latest census estimates show that Massachusetts's population grew by 3.9% since 2000, compared with nearly 10% nationwide. In their decisions to leave Massachusetts, most former residents cited high housing costs and a high cost of living. Another factor has been the transformation from a manufacturing economy into one based on high technology, leaving limited employment options for lower-skilled workers, particularly males.

Foreign immigration is more than making up for these losses, causing the state's population to continue to grow as of the 2010 Census (particularly in Massachusetts gateway cities where costs of living are lower). 40% of foreign immigrants were from Central or South America, according to a 2005 Census Bureau study. Many residents who have settled in Greater Springfield claim Puerto Rican descent. Many areas of Massachusetts showed relatively stable population trends between 2000 and 2010. Exurban Boston and coastal areas grew the most rapidly, while Berkshire County in far Western Massachusetts and Barnstable County on Cape Cod were the only counties to lose population as of the 2010 Census. Both of these counties feature many "second homes," and constitute major centers of Massachusetts tourism.

In 2005, 79% of the state population spoke English, 7% spoke Spanish, 3.5% spoke Portuguese, and 1% spoke either French or Chinese. A number of major golf events have taken place in Massachusetts, including nine U.S. Opens and two Ryder Cups, among others. The New England Revolution is the Major League Soccer team in Massachusetts, and the Boston Cannons are the Major League Lacrosse team. The Boston Breakers are the Women's Professional Soccer in Massachusetts.

A gymnastics center called Brestyan's American Gymnastics has also become well known in the competitive gymnastics world in the last decade for producing several internationally successful gymnasts like Olympic silver medalist and vault world champion Alicia Sacramone, 2011 world champion and two time Olympic Gold medalist Aly Raisman, and Canadian national team member Talia Chiarelli.

Several universities in Massachusetts are notable for their collegiate athletics. Boston College fields teams in the nationally televised Atlantic Coast Conference, while Harvard University competes in the famed Ivy League. Boston University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross, UMass Lowell, and UMass Amherst also participate in Division I athletics. Many other Massachusetts colleges compete in lower divisions such as Division III, where MIT, Tufts University, Amherst College, Williams College, and others field competitive teams.

Outdoor recreation

Long-distance hiking trails in Massachusetts include the Appalachian Trail, the New England National Scenic Trail, the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, the Midstate Trail, and the Bay Circuit Trail. Other outdoor recreational activities in Massachusetts include sailing and yachting, freshwater and deep-sea fishing, whale watching, downhill and cross-country skiing, and hunting.

See also

• Index of Massachusetts-related articles
• Outline of Massachusetts – organized list of topics about Massachusetts

Notes

1. The Constitution of the Vermont Republic, adopted in 1777, prohibited involuntary servitude. Vermont became a state in 1791 and subsequently ratified a newer constitution in 1793. The Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 made Pennsylvania the first state to abolish slavery by statute.

References

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17. Exner, Rich (June 3, 2012). "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot". The Plain Dealer.
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22. "Imagine all the people: Haitian immigrants in Boston" (PDF). Boston Development Authority. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
23. "Whaling Industry and Portuguese Immigration Centered in New Bedford, Mass". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
24. ^ Brettell 2003, pp. xii–xiv.
25. Schweitzer, Sarah (February 15, 2010). "Lowell hopes to put 'Little Cambodia' on the map". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
26. "Wampanoag Tribe Receives Federal Recognition". WBZ-TV. Boston, MA. Associated Press. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
27. Weber, David (February 15, 2007). "Mashpee Wampanoag Indians receive federal recognition". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
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37. Goldfield et al. 1998, p. 251.
38. ^ Goldfield et al. 1998, p. 254.
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41. Brown & Tager 2000, pp. 187–93. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFBrownTager2000 (help)
42. "Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment". National Park Service. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
43. "Augustus Saint-Gaudens". National Gallery of Art. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
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46. "Job Loss, Shrinking Revenues, and Grinding Decline in Springfield, Massachusetts: Is A Finance Control Board the Answer?" (PDF). UML. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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49. "About us". The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
50. ^ Cite error: The named reference MassPol1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
51. "Members of the 111th Congress". United States Senate. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
52. "Massachusetts Congressional Districts" (PDF). Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
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54. "Volleyball pushed as official team sport of Mass". Boston Herald. October 4, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
55. "Stanley Cup Winners". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
56. "Celtics History — Championship Wins". National Basketball Association. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
57. "Super Bowl History". National Football League. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
58. "MLB World Series Winners". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
59. "Cornell Rowing Excels at Eastern Sprints". Cornell University. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
60. "History of the Head of the Charles Regatta". Head of the Charles Regatta. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
61. ^ "Information and Historical Data on Cities, Towns, and Counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
62. See Administrative divisions of Massachusetts#The city/town distinction.
63. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2008 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008 (SUB-EST2008-01)" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
64. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 19, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
65. "Annual Estimates of the Population for all Incorporated Places in Massachusetts: 2000–2007". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
66. ^ Sokolow 1997, pp. 293–6.
67. ^ "Massachusetts Government: County Government". League of Women Voters. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
68. Dejnozka et al. 1982, p. 313.
69. Dejnozka et al. 1982, p. 311.
70. Goldfield et al. 1998, pp. 251–52.
71. Ramírez, Eddy (November 29, 2007). "The First Class State". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
72. Rimer, Sara; Finder, Alan (February 10, 2007). "Harvard Plans to Name First Female President". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
73. "Admissions". StudyPoint. {{cite journal}}: |contribution= ignored (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
74. "Compulsory Education". National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved December 28, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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77. ^ Mishra, Raja (December 22, 2006). "State's population growth on stagnant course". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
78. "Experts say housing costs, schools key to job creation in Massachusetts". The MetroWest Daily News. Framingham, MA.
79. Levenson, Michael (December 10, 2006). "Bay state's labor force diminishing". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
80. ^ Bayles, Fred (March 21, 2001). "Minorities account for state population growth". USA Today. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
81. {{Cite journal | url = http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=25&mode=state_tops | contribution = Most spoken languages in Massachusetts | title = Language Map Data Center | publisher = Modern Language Association | accessdate = February 2 |- | Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin) || 1.59% |- | French || 1.11% |- | French Creole || 0.89% |- | Italian || 0.72% |- | Russian || 0.62% |- | Vietnamese || 0.58% |- | Greek || 0.41% |- | Arabic and Cambodian (including Mon-Khmer) (tied) || 0.37% |} As of 2010, 78.93% (4,823,127) of Massachusetts residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 7.50% (458,256) spoke Spanish, 2.97% = Right whale, Morgan horse, Tabby cat, Boston Terrier |Reptile = Garter snake |Tree = American Elm |Beverage = Cranberry Juice |Colors = Blue, Green, Cranberry |Dance = Square Dance |Food = Cranberry, Corn muffin, Navy bean, Boston cream pie, [[Chocolate aton | publisher=Boston Athletic Association | accessdate =June 6, 2010 | url = http://www.bostonmarathon.org/bostonmarathon/114thmarathon.asp}}
82. "2009 U.S. Open — Past Champions". United States Golf Association. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
83. "Past Results". Ryder Cup. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
84. "Deutsche Bank Championship". Professional Golfers' Association of America. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
85. "Stadium Information". Gillette Stadium. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
86. "MLL Standings". Major League Lacrosse. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
87. "College Football Teams (FBS and FCS)". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
88. "College Basketball Teams — Division I Teams". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
89. "Greenways and Trails". Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
90. "Southern New England". Appalachian Mountain Club. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
91. "Fishing & charters". Massachusetts Department of Tourism. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
92. "Whale watching". Massachusetts Department of Tourism. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
93. "Skiing/snowboarding". Massachusetts Department of Tourism. Retrieved June 5, 2010.

(181,437) Portuguese, 1.59% (96,690) Chinese (which includes Cantonese and Mandarin), 1.11% (67,788) French, 0.89% (54,456) French Creole, 0.72% (43,798) Italian, 0.62% (37,865) Russian, and Vietnamese was spoken as a main language by 0.58% (35,283) of the population over the age of five. In total, 21.07% (1,287,419) of Massachusetts's population age 5 and older spoke a mother language other than English.

Religion

Massachusetts was founded and settled by the Puritans in 1628. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the Congregational/United Church of Christ, and congregations of Unitarian Universalist Association. Most people in Massachusetts were Christians. The headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association is located on Beacon Hill in Boston.

Today, Protestants make up less than one quarter of the state's population. Roman Catholics now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Ireland, followed by Italy, Portugal, Quebec, and Latin America. A large Jewish population came to the Boston and Springfield areas in 1880–1920. Mary Baker Eddy made the Boston Mother Church of Christian Science the world headquarters. Buddhists, Pagans, Hindus, Seventh-day Adventists, Muslims, and Mormons also can be found. Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, the Shaolin Meditation Temple in Springfield, and the Insight Meditation Center in Barre are examples of non-Abrahamic religious centers in Massachusetts. According to 2010 data from The Association of Religion Data Archives(ARDA) the largest single denominations are the Roman Catholic Church with 2,940,199 adherents; the United Church of Christ with 86,639 adherents; and the Episcopal Church with 81,999 adherents.

The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts, according to a 2001 survey, are shown below:

• Christian – 69%iology/conn.river/pynchon.html William Pynchon]. Bio.umass.edu. Retrieved on September 7, 2013.</ref>

In 1691, the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth were united (along with present-day Maine, which had previously been divided between Massachusetts and New York) into the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Shortly after the arrival of the new province's first governor, Sir William Phips, the Salem witch trials took place, in which a number of men and women were hanged.

During the Revolution, Salem, Massachusetts, became a center for privateering. Although the documentation is incomplete, about 1,700 Letters of Marque, issued on a per-voyage basis, were granted during the American Revolution. Nearly 800 vessels were commissioned as privateers and are credited with capturing or destroying about 600 British ships. During the War of 1812, privateering resumed. The Old China Trade left a significant mark in two historic districts, Chestnut Street District, part of the Samuel McIntire Historic District containing 407 buildings, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, consisting of 12 historic structures and about 9 acres (36,000 m2) of land along the waterfront in Salem. Elias Hasket Derby was among the wealthiest and most celebrated of post-Revolutionary merchants in Salem, and owner of the Grand Turk, the first New England vessel to trade directly with China.

The most destructive earthquake yet known in New England occurred in 1755, causing considerable damage across Massachusetts.

Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from Great Britain; colonists here had long had uneasy relations with the British monarchy, including open rebellion under the Dominion of New England in the 1680s. Protests against British attempts to tax the colonies after the French and Indian War ended in 1763 led to the Boston Massacre in 1770, and the 1773 Boston Tea Party escalated tensions to the breaking point. Anti-Parliamentary activity by men such as Samuel Adams and John Hancock, followed by reprisals by the British government, were a primary reason for the unity of the Thirteen Colonies and the outbreak of the American Revolution.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated the American Revolutionary War and were fought in the Massachusetts towns of Concord and [[Lexington, Massachus

• • • Baptist – 4%
    • Congregational/United Church of Christ – 3%
    • Episcopal – 3%
    • Other denominations (2% or less each) – 11%
• Jewish – 3%
• Muslim – 1%
• Other – 7%
• No religion – 15%
• Refused to answer – 7%

Economy

The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the Massachusetts gross state product in 2012 was US$404 billion. The per capita personal income in 2012 was $53,221, making it the third highest state in the nation. 13 Fortune 500 companies are located in Massachusetts, the largest of which are the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group of Boston and MassMutual Financial Services of Springfield. CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2010" has recognized Massachusetts as the fifth best state in the nation.

Sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include higher education, biotechnology, finance, health care, and tourism. Route 128 was a major center for the development of minicomputers and electronics. High technology remains an important sector, though few of the largest technology companies are based there. In recent years tourism has played an ever-important role in the state's economy, with Boston and Cape Cod being the leading destinations. Other popular tourist destinations include Salem, Plymouth and the Berkshires. As of April 2013, the state's unemployment rate was 6.4%, below the national level of 7.6 %.

As of 2005, there were 7,700 farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of 520,000 acres (2,100 km), averaging 68 acres (0.28 km) apiece. Almost 2,300 of the state's 6,100 farms grossed under $2,500 in 2007. Particular agricultural products of note include tobacco, livestock, and fruits, tree nuts, and berries, for which the state is nationally ranked 11th, 17th, and 16th, respectively. Massachusetts is the second-largest cranberry-producing state in the union (after Wisconsin).

Taxation

The overall state and local tax burden in Massachusetts ranks 11th highest in the United States. Massachusetts has a flat-rate personal income tax of 5.25%, after a 2002 voter referendum to eventually lower the rate to 5.0%. There is an exemption for income below a threshold that varies from year to year. The corporate income tax rate is 8.8%, and the short-term capital gains tax rate is 12%.

The state imposes a 6.25% sales tax on certain system design/computer software services and retail sales of tangible personal property—except for groceries, clothing (up to $175.00), and periodicals. The sales tax is charged on clothing that costs more than $175.00, for the amount exceeding $175.00. All real and tangible personal property located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Property taxes in the state were the eighth highest in the nation. There is no inheritance tax and limited Massachusetts estate tax related to federal estate tax collection.

Energy

Massachusetts' electricity generation market was made competitive in 1998, enabling retail customers to change suppliers without changing utility companies. Though most residential customers remain with incumbent generators, most of the 4.3 billion kilowatt-hours consumed in the state in July 2011 were generated competitively. In 2011, Massachusetts was ranked as the most energy efficient state in America.

Transportation

Massachusetts has 10 regional metropolitan planning organizations and three non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state; statewide planning is handled by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Rail service

Amtrak operates inter-city rail, including the high-speed Acela service to cities such as Providence, New Haven, New York City, and Washington, DC.

Regional services

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates public transportation in the form of subway, bus and ferry systems in the Metro Boston area. It also operates longer distance commuter rail services throughout the larger Greater Boston area, including service to Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island. As of the summer of 2013 the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority in collaboration with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is operating the CapeFLYER providing passenger rail service between Boston and Cape Cod.

Fifteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in their local communities. Two heritage railways are in operation: the Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Berkshire Scenic Railway.

As of 2006, a number of freight railroads were operating in Massachusetts, with CSX being the largest carrier. Massachusetts has a total of 1,079 miles (1,736 km) of freight trackage in operation. The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority regulates freight and passenger ferry service to the islands and operates some of those lines.

Air service

Road

There are a total of 31,300 miles (50,400 km) of interstates and highways in Massachusetts. Interstate 90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike, is the longest interstate in Massachusetts. The route runs 136 mi (219 km) generally west to east from the New York state line near the town of West Stockbridge and passes just north of Springfield, just south of Worcester and through Framingham before terminating near Logan International Airport in Boston. Other major interstates include Interstate 91, which runs generally north and south along the Connecticut River, Interstate 93, which runs north and south through central Boston, then passes Methuen before entering New Hampshire. Interstate 95, which follows most of the US Atlantic coastline, connects Providence, Rhode Island with Greater Boston, forming a loop around the more urbanized areas (for some distance cosigned with Route 128) before continuing north along the coast.

Interstate 495 forms a wide loop around the outer edge of Greater Boston. Other major interstates in Massachusetts include I-291, I-391, I-84, I-195, I-395, I-290, and I-190. Major non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include U.S. Routes 1, 3, 6, and 20, and state routes 2, 3, 24 and 128. A great majority of interstates in Massachusetts were constructed during the mid 20th century, and at times were controversial, particularly the routing of I-95 through central Boston. Opposition to continued construction grew, and in 1970 Governor Francis W. Sargent issued a general prohibition on most further freeway construction within the I-95/Route 128 loop in the Boston area. A massive undertaking to depress I-93 in downtown Boston, called the Big Dig, has brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny over the last decade.

Government and politics

Massachusetts has a long political history; earlier political structures included the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the separate Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, and the combined colonial Province of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Constitution was ratified in 1780 while the Revolutionary War was in progress, four years after the Articles of Confederation was drafted, and eight years before the present United States Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788. Drafted by John Adams, the Massachusetts Constitution is currently the oldest functioning written constitution in continuous effect in the world.

In recent decades, Massachusetts politics have been generally dominated by the Democratic Party, and the state has a reputation for being one of the most liberal in the country. In 1974, Elaine Noble became the first openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a state legislature in US history. The state housed the first openly gay member of the United States House of Representatives, Gerry Studds.

Government

The Government of Massachusetts is divided into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The governor of Massachusetts heads the executive branch; duties of the governor include signing or vetoing legislation, filling judicial and agency appointments, granting pardons, preparing an annual budget, and commanding the Massachusetts National Guard. Massachusetts governors, unlike those of most other states, are addressed as His/Her Excellency. The current governor is Deval Patrick, a Democrat from Milton. The executive branch also includes the Executive Council, which is made up of eight elected councilors and the Lieutenant Governor.

Abilities of the Council include confirming gubanatorial appointments and certifying elections. The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Massachusetts Senate comprise the legislature of Massachusetts, known as the Massachusetts General Court.<refare Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Niki Tsongas, Joseph Kennedy III, John F. Tierney, Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch, and Bill Keating.

Federal court cases are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and appeals are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In US presidential elections, Massachusetts is allotted 11 votes in the electoral college, out of a total of 538. Like most states, Massachusetts's electoral votes are granted in a winner-take-all system.

Politics

Name

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, whose name can be segmented as mass-adchu-s-et, where mass- is "large", -adchu- is "hill", -s- is a diminutive suffix meaning "small", and -et is a locative suffix, identifying a place. It has been translated as "near the great hill", "by the blue hills", "at the little big hill", or "at the range of hills", referring to the Blue Hills, or in particular, Great Blue Hill, located on the boundary of Milton and Canton. Alternatively, Massachusett has been represented as Moswetuset, from the name of the Moswetuset Hummock (meaning "hill shaped like an arrowhead") in Quincy where Plymouth Colony commander Miles Standish and Squanto, a Native American, met Chief Chickatawbut in 1621.

The official name of the state is the "Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Colloquially, it is often referred to simply as "the Commonwealth". While this designation is part of the state's official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic
HighestElevUS = 3,489	HighestElev = 1063.4	MeanElevUS = 500	MeanElev = 150	LowestPoint = Atlantic Ocean	LowestElevUS = 0	LowestElev = 0	ISOCode = US-MA	Website = http://www.mass.gov/}} Symbols </ref> Famous painters from Massachusetts include Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell; many of the latter's works are on display at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. Massachusetts is also an important center for the performing arts. Both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra are based in Massachusetts. Other orchestras in Massachusetts include the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra in Barnstable and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Tanglewood, in western Massachusetts, is a music venue that is home to both the Tanglewood Music Festival and Tanglewood Jazz Festival, as well as the summer host for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires hosts a number of traditional and contemporary musical and dance events. Other performing arts and theater organizations in Massachusetts include the Boston Ballet, the Boston Lyric Opera, and the Lenox-based Shakespeare & Company. In addition to classical and folk music, Massachusetts has produced musicians and bands spanning a number of contemporary genres, such as the classic rock band Aerosmith, the New Wave band The Cars, and the alternative rock band Pixies. Film events in the state include the Boston Film Festival, the Boston International Film Festival, and a number of smaller film festivals in various cities throughout Massachusetts. Massachusetts is home to a large number of museums and historical sites. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art and the DeCordova contemporary art and sculpture museum in Lincoln are all located within Massachusetts, and the Maria Mitchell Association in Nantucket includes several observatories, museums, and an aquarium. Historically themed museums and sites such as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Boston's Freedom Trail and nearby Minute Man National Historical Park, both of which preserve a number of sites important during the American Revolution, the Lowell National Historical Park, which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the industrial revolution in the US, the Black Heritage Trail in Boston, which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston, and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park all showcase various periods of Massachusetts's history. Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village are two open-air or "living" museums in Massachusetts, recreating life as it was in the 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively. Boston's annual St. Patrick's Day parade and "Harborfest", a week-long Fourth of July celebration featuring a fireworks display and concert by the Boston Pops as well as a turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor by the USS Constitution, are popular events. The New England Summer Nationals, an auto show in Worcester, draws tens of thousands of attendees every year. Media See also: List of television stations in Massachusetts, List of newspapers in Massachusetts, and List of radio stations in Massachusetts There are two major television media markets located in Massachusetts. The Boston/Manchester market is the fifth largest in the United States. All major networks are represented. The other market surrounds the Springfield area. WGBH-TV in Boston is a major public television station and produces national programs such as Nova, Frontline, and American Experience. The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Springfield Republican and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette are Massachusetts's largest daily newspapers. In addition, there are many community dailies and weeklies. There are a number of major AM and FM stations which serve Massachusetts, along with many more regional and community-based stations. Some colleges and universities also operate campus television and radio stations, and print their own newspapers. Health See also: List of hospitals in Massachusetts, Massachusetts health care reform, and Governorship of Mitt Romney § Health care Massachusetts generally ranks highly among states in most health and disease prevention categories. In 2009, the United Health Foundation ranked the state as third healthiest overall. However, the study also pointed to several areas in which Massachusetts ranked below average, such as the state's rate of binge drinking, which was the 11th highest in the country. Massachusetts has the most doctors per 100,000 residents, the second-lowest infant mortality rate, and the lowest percentage of uninsured residents (for both children as well as the total population). According to Businessweek, commonwealth residents have an average life expectancy of 78.4 years, the fifth longest in the country.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). While cultivation of crops like squash and corn supplemented their diets, these tribes were generally dependent on hunting, gathering and fishing for most of their food supply. Villages consisted of lodges called wigwams as well as long houses, and tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems. ===Colonial period (1620–1780)===t/sep2006/db20060913_099763.htm}}</ref> 37.2% of the population is overweight and 21.7% is obese, and Massachusetts ranks sixth highest in the percentage of residents who are considered neither obese nor overweight (41.1%). The nation's first Marine Hospital was erected by federal order in Boston in 1799. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine lists a total of 132 hospitals in the state. According to rankings by US News & World Report, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is the top ranked overall hospital in the nation; the hospital also ranked in the top ten in fifteen specialties. Massachusetts General was founded in 1811 and serves as the largest teaching hospital for nearby Harvard University. Other teaching and medical institutions affiliated with Harvard include Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, among others. Boston is also the location of New England Baptist Hospital, Tufts Medical Center and Boston Medical Center, the latter of which is the primary teaching hospital for Boston University. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is located in Worcester.<ref>{{cite web | title = An Introduction to UMass Medical School | publisher=University of Massachusetts Medical School | accessdate =October 25, 2010 | url = Brown, Richard D; Tager, Jack (2000). Massachusetts: A Concise History. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 1-55849-248-8. Dejnozka, Edward L; Gifford, Charles S; Kapel, David E; Kapel, Marilyn B (1982). American Educators' Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-20954-5. Goldfield, David; Abbott, Carl; Anderson, Virginia DeJohn; Argersinger, Jo Ann E; Argersinger, Peter H; Barney, William L; Weir, Robert M (1998). The American Journey – A History of the United States. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-656562-X. Koplow, David A (2004). Smallpox: The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scourge. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-24220-3. Sokolow, Alvin D (1997). "Town and Township Government: Serving Rural and Suburban Communities". Handbook of Local Government Administration. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-9782-5. Further reading Overviews and surveys Hall, Donald. ed. The Encyclopedia of New England (2005) Works Progress Administration. Guide to Massachusetts (1939) Secondary sources Abrams, Richard M. Conservatism in a Progressive Era: Massachusetts Politics, 1900–1912 (1964) Adams, James Truslow. Revolutionary New England, 1691–1776 (1923) Adams, James Truslow. New England in the Republic, 1776–1850 (1926) Andrews, Charles M. The Fathers of New England: A Chronicle of the Puritan Commonwealths (1919), short survey Conforti, Joseph A. Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century (2001) Cumbler, John T. Reasonable Use: The People, the Environment, and the State, New England, 1790–1930 (1930), environmental history Fischer, David Hackett. Paul Revere's Ride (1994), 1775 in depth Flagg, Charles Allcott, A Guide to Massachusetts local history, Salem : Salem Press Company, 1907. Green, James R., William F. Hartford, and Tom Juravich. Commonwealth of Toil: Chapters in the History of Massachusetts Workers and Their Unions (1996) Huthmacher, J. Joseph. Massachusetts People and Politics, 1919–1933 (1958) Labaree, Benjamin Woods. Colonial Massachusetts: A History (1979) Morison, Samuel Eliot. The Maritime History of Massachusetts, 1783–1860 (1921) Peirce, Neal R. The New England States: People, Politics, and Power in the Six New England States (1976), 1960–75 era Porter, Susan L. Women of the Commonwealth: Work, Family, and Social Change in Nineteenth-Century Massachusetts (1996) Sletcher, Michael. New England (2004). Starkey, Marion L. The Devil in Massachusetts (1949), Salem witches Tager, Jack, and John W. Ifkovic, eds. Massachusetts in the Gilded Age: Selected Essays (1985), ethnic groups Zimmerman, Joseph F. The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action (1999) External links The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Template:Dmoz Massachusetts Historical Society Massachusetts State Guide from the Library of Congress Energy Profile for Massachusetts- Economic, environmental, and energy data USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Massachusetts Massachusetts Geological Survey Maps of Massachusetts 1837 descriptions of Massachusetts cities, towns, mountains, lakes, and rivers, from Hayward's New England Gazetteer. Massachusetts State Symbols Miscellaneous Massachusetts Facts Massachusetts State Facts from USDA Massachusetts Constitution and Laws Massachusetts Tourism Board Maritime History of Massachusetts, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Atlases of Massachusetts. 1871-Walling&Gray, 1891-Walker, 1892-Mass., 1904-Walker. Large Images at Salemdeeds. 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Smith Preserve and Fire Trail Stacy Mountain Tatkon Trustees of Reservations Governor Oliver Ames Estate Appleton Farms Ashintully Gardens Bartholomew's Cobble Bear Swamp Bear's Den Boston Community Gardens The Brickyard Bullitt Chestnut Hill Farm Colonel John Ashley House Dunes' Edge Campground Francis William Bird Park Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate Bridge Island Meadows Brooks Woodland William Cullen Bryant Homestead Cape Poge Cedariver Castle Hill Chapel Brook Charles River Peninsula Chase Woodlands Chesterfield Gorge Coolidge Copicut Woods Cormier Woods Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge Crane Beach Crane Wildlife Refuge Crowninshield Island Dexter Drumlin Dinosaur Footprints Doane's Falls Doyle Dry Hill East Over Elliott Laurel Farandnear FARM Institute Field Farm Fruitlands Museum Fork Factory Brook Glendale Falls Goose Pond Greenwood Farm Hales Brook and Sippican River Halibut Point Hamlin Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens Holmes Governor Hutchinson's Field Jacobs Hill Little Tom Mountain Land of Providence Leatherbee Woods Long Hill Long Point Lowell Holly Lyman Malcolm Mashpee River McLennan Medfield Meadow Lots Medfield Rhododendrons Menemsha Hills and The Brickyard Misery Islands Mission House The Monoliths Monument Mountain Moose Hill Farm Moraine Farm Mount Ann Mount Warner Mountain Meadow Mytoi Naumkeag Noanet Woodlands Noon Hill and Shattuck Norris North Common Meadow Norton Point Beach Notchview Old Manse Old Town Hill Peaked Mountain Pegan Hill Peters Petticoat Hill Pierce Pine and Hemlock Knoll Powisset Farm Questing Quinebaug Woods Ravenswood Park Redemption Rock Rock House Rocky Narrows Rocky Woods Royalston Falls Shattuck Signal Hill Slocum's River Stavros Stevens-Coolidge Swift River Tantiusques Tully Lake Campground Two Mile Farm Tyringham Cobble Ward Wasque Weir Hill Weir River Farm Westport Town Farm Whitney and Thayer Woods World's End Audubon Society wildlife sanctuaries Allens Pond Arcadia Ashumet Holly Attleboro Springs Barnstable Great Marsh Blue Hills Trailside Museum Boston Nature Center Broad Meadow Brook Broadmoor Burncoat Pond Canoe Meadows Daniel Webster Drumlin Farm Eagle Lake Eastern Point Endicott Felix Neck Flat Rock Graves Farm Great Neck Habitat High Ledges Ipswich River Joppa Flats Kettle Island Lake Wampanoag Laughing Brook Lime Kiln Farm Lincoln Woods Long Pasture Lynes Woods Marblehead Neck Moose Hill Museum of American Bird Art Nahant Thicket Nashoba Brook North Hill Marsh North River Oak Knoll Pierpont Meadow Pleasant Valley Poor Farm Hill Richardson Brook Road's End Rough Meadows Rutland Brook Sampsons Island Sesachacha Heathlands Skunknett River Stony Brook Wachusett Meadow Waseeka Wellfleet Bay Wildwood Camp Other Concord Land Conservation Trust Harvard Forest Lincoln Land Conservation Trust Lloyd Center for the Environment Lynn Woods Reservation Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary Old Harbor Wildlife Refuge Category Boston Emerald Necklace Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs [REDACTED] Commons Lua error in Module:Navbox at line 535: attempt to get length of local 'arg' (a number value). 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