Massachusetts - State Symbols, Facts, Photos, Visitor Info

"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

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












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Massachusetts National Parks

Massachusetts State Parks

State Forests

Historic Sites

Attractions

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Boston Bruins (NHL)

Boston Celtics (NBA)

Boston Red Sox (MLB)

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Listen to Chickadee Song

Mass. Photo Gallery - 1

Mass. Butterfly Gallery

Mass. Bird Gallery

Mass. Homeschooling

Massachusetts Resorts

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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.

Sanctity of Life Day

January 22
"All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world." Pres. George W. Bush
Read more in our forum.

Religious Freedom Day

January 16
Each year, the President declares January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day. This day is the anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom in 1786.
Read more in our forum.

Martin Luther King

January 16
A U.S. holiday honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an influential American civil rights leader who peacefully worked for equal rights for all Americans.
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Epiphany

January 6
The Feast of the Epiphany marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and celebrates the revelation of the birth of Jesus Christ as Savior of the whole world. Magi (wise men) from the east follow a star that suddenly appeared at Jesus' birth...
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New Year

January 1
In countries which ue the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is usually celebrated on January 1. The celebration of the New Year is a major event worldwide.
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