locater map
 
John F. Kennedy

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

President
 
John Quincy Adams
"There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul;  and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments."
President
 
Benjamin Franklin
"Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants."
Founding Father
 
John Adams
"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: 'It connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

July 4, 1821
President

Massachusetts

Entered the Union: February 6, 1788 (6) Capital: Boston
State Nicknames: Bay State • Old Colony State • Puritan State • Baked Bean State
Origin of Name: From Massachusett Indian tribe meaning "a large hill place"
State Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)
State Flower: Mayflower State Tree: American Elm
State Dog: Boston Terrier State Bird: Chickadee
State Dessert: Boston Cream Pie State Horse: Morgan
State Song: "All Hail to Massachusetts"
National Parks: 20 • State Forests: 34 • State Parks: 48
Famous For: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket Island, Boston Symphony, Berklee College of Music, Harvard University
Famous Bay Staters: John Adams • John Quincy Adams • John F. Kennedy • George H.W. Bush (Presidents), Samuel Adams (patriot), Susan B. Anthony • Lucy Stone (women suffragists), Clara Barton (American Red Cross founder), E.E. Cummings • Emily Dickinson • Ralph Waldo Emerson (poets), Bette Davis (actress), Benjamin Franklin (statesman, scientist), John Hancock (statesman), Cotton Mather (clergyman), Sharon Christa McAuliffe (teacher, astronaut), Jo Dee Messina (singer), Samuel Morse (painter, inventor), Paul Revere (silversmith, Revolutionary War figure), Norman Rockwell (artist), Dr. Seuss "Theodore Geisel" (author, illustrator), Nathaniel Hawthorne • Edgar Allan Poe • Henry David Thoreau (authors), Barbara Walters (TV commentator), Eli Whitney (inventor)
Native Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birds on this page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make.
State Fair: Contoocook
Massachusetts National Parks
Historic Sites
Attractions
Fishing
Hunting
Boston Bruins (NHL)
Boston Celtics (NBA)
Ski Resorts Near Boston
Boston Red Sox (MLB)
New England Patriots (NFL)
Listen to Chickadee Song
Mass. Photo Gallery - 1 2
Mass. Butterfly Gallery
Mass. Bird Gallery
Mass. Homeschooling
Massachusetts Resorts
Massachusetts RV Parks
Mass.s Hotels & Reviews
Mass. Restaurants & Reviews
Englishman John Cabot sighted the coast of Massachusetts in 1498. In 1605, Samuel de Champlain charted maps of the New England coastline. John Smith sailed up the coast of Massachusetts in 1614. Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom, founded Plymouth Colony in 1620.
The Pilgrims suffered greatly their first winter and about half the settlers died. The following year, the Indians taught them how to plant corn and beans.  When winter came they had enough food, and better shelter. The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and gave thanks to God for delivering them from hardship. 
As one of the most important of the 13 colonies, Massachusetts became a leader in resisting British oppression. In 1773, the Boston Tea Party protested unjust taxation. The Minute Men started the American Revolution by battling British troops at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
Boston Common became the first public park in 1634. Boston Latin School became the first secondary school in 1635. Harvard, the first college, was founded in 1636. The first post office, free public school and public library were all founded in Boston. The first newspaper, lighthouse, and subway were all started in Boston. The sewing machine was also invented in Boston in 1845. 
James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891. He wanted an indoor sport for his PE students during the winter months. William Morgan invented volleyball in Holyoke in 1895.
The Morgan Horse descended from a little bay stallion born in West Springfield, MA, in 1789. Named "Figure" by his owner, schoolteacher and singing master, Justin Morgan, he could outrun and outwork any horse in the area. He stood just 14 hands high but excelled in weight-pulling contests and racing, under saddle and in harness. Later, he became known by his master's name, "Justin Morgan".
The Boston Terrier was the first purebred dog developed in America (1869); a cross between an English bulldog and an English terrier.
Massachusetts Ethnic Roots: Irish 21%, Italian 17.5%, French 12.9%, English 11.4%, German 5.9%.
Religion in Massachusetts: 79% Christian (47% Catholic, 31% Protestant, 1% Other), 17% No Relibion, 2% Jewish, 1% Unitarian, 1% Other Religions
The Chocolate Chip Cookie was invented in 1930 at the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman.
Quincy is home to the first Dunkin Donuts and the first Howard Johnson Motel.  
Massachusetts' cranberry crop is the nation's second-largest (after Wisconsin).
Johnny Appleseed was designated the official folk hero of Massachusetts. Appleseed was born John Chapman and lived from 1775(?)-1845. An American pioneer and hero of folklore, his planting of apple trees from New England to the Ohio River valley earned him his more popular name.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving - Thanking God for His blessings
Thanksgiving Day November 28, 2024
In 1621, 52 Pilgrims and approx. 50 Native Americans celebrated a 3-day feast thanking God for His blessings enabling their survival in the New World. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.
Advent
Advent
December 1, 2024
Advent begins 4 weeks before Christmas and remembers the longing and waiting of God's people for the coming of the Messiah.
Bill of Rights Day

Bill of Rights Day

December 15, 1791
Bill of Rights Day

Celebrating the 10 amendments to the Constitution which protect individual rights by placing specific limits on government power. These freedoms do not exist in many countries of the world.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day
December 25th Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. This joyous festival is enjoyed by Christians and nonChristians alike all over the world.