Geography and Climate of Massachusetts
Massachusetts, or the “Bay State,” borders New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, Connecticut to the south, New York to the west and Rhode Island and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The nickname comes from several large bays that shape its coast, including Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay and Narragansett Bay.
The land is made of uplands carved by Pleistocene glaciers, which deposited moraines on Cape Cod, an arm-shaped peninsula. Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are islands that lie south of Cape Cod across the Nantucket Sound. Housatonic Valley separates Berkshire Hills from the Taconic Range. The highest point in the state is at Mount Greylock, along New York’s western border.
The Connecticut River flows through the Pioneer Valley. Much of the inland is deciduous forest, but urbanization and logging have affected the once-expansive wilderness. However, its scenic New England coastline still has commercial fishing for lobster and Atlantic cod, while tourists flock to the picturesque beaches during the summer.
Boston is at the innermost point of Massachusetts Bay and the mouth of the Charles River. Most of the state’s population is in Boston, but not necessarily within the city proper. Central Massachusetts includes Worcester County and the cities of Leominster, Gardner, Southbridge, Fitchburg and Worcester. The Pioneer Valley along Connecticut River is urbanized, including Northampton, Springfield, Chicopee, Westfield and Holyoke. The rest of the state west of Pioneer Valley is uplands with the small Berkshire mountain range.
Massachusetts is a humid continental climate, with warm summers and snowy, cold winters. The state receives up to 40 inches of annual rainfall, mostly during the winter months of December through February. In addition to snowstorms, Massachusetts can experience severe thunderstorms and possible hurricanes, which normally weaken into tropical storms or nor’easters.
History of Massachusetts
Massachusetts was originally inhabited by Algonquin tribes, including the Mahican, Pequot, Wampanoag, Nauset and Massachuset. Many of the tribes were killed by smallpox brought by Sir Herbert Popham during the early 17th century.
The first European settlers in Massachusetts were the Pilgrims, who set up an establishment at Plymouth in 1620 and developed good relations with the native Wampanoag. By 1630, the Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony at what is now Boston and began settling inland in the Pioneer Valley. Massachusetts was officially a unified colony by 1692, making it one of the original thirteen colonies in the U.S.
Donned the “Cradle of Liberty,” Massachusetts was a central location during the founding of the United States. John Adams, Samuel Adams and John Hancock stood out as leaders, protesting with other members of the colony against what they considered unfair taxation. The dissent resulting in events like the Boston Tea Party, in which 324 crates of East India Company tea were thrown into Boston Harbor.
Britain reacted by closing the port of Boston and tightening government control. The Battle of Lexington and Concord marked the onset of the American Revolutionary War. Shay’s Rebellion, an armed uprising in western Massachusetts over the debt from the war, led to the call for a new Articles of Confederation and the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Throughout the 19th century, the New England region, especially Massachusetts, led industrial development, particularly machinery, shoes and textiles. Immigrant labor came in droves to Massachusetts, resulting in the urbanization of much of the landscape. Around this time, the District of Maine became a separate state and split from Massachusetts in 1820.
By the 1920s, major manufacturing companies had left or gone out of business. Competition from the South and the start of the Great Depression led to the economic collapse of several main industries. After World War II, the Massachusetts economy shifted from factories to service and high-tech industries. The Kennedy family remained a powerful force in Massachusetts and national politics during the 20th century, with the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport on Cape Cod.
In 2002, the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal became an issue of heated public debate. It was discovered that the Boston diocese had been aware of certain priests with a history of sexually molesting children.
Demographics of Massachusetts
As of 2006, Massachusetts has an estimated population of 6,437,193 and is one of the most densely populated states in the country. Most of the population is within 60 miles of the Greater Boston area.
Due to immigration during the 1800s, the Irish and people of Irish ancestry comprise the most influential ethnic group in Massachusetts, at 23 percent of the population. Overall, Massachusetts is a veritable melting pot of cultural diversity. There are large populations of Italians, Finnish, Swedish, French, French-Canadian and German, as well as Cambodian, Armenian, Lebanese, Greek, Portuguese, Brazilian, Polish and Lithuanian. “Yankees” of colonial English ancestry are also prominent, as are African-Americans and Haitians.
Although the rigid Puritans founded Massachusetts, Protestants only account for just over a fifth of the population. Catholicism is the dominant religion, mainly because of massive immigration from Ireland, Italy, Poland and Portugal. The United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist and Church of Christian Science all originate from Massachusetts. There is also a significant Jewish population in the Boston area, as well as some Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus and 16 percent of people who do not claim any religious affiliation.
Economy of Massachusetts
In 2006, the estimated gross state product for Massachusetts was $338 billion, while its per capita personal income was $42,102 in 2004, just second to Connecticut.
Originally based on factories, Massachusetts successfully diversified its economy to include high-tech and finance industries. Biotechnology and health care are also important contributors to the state’s economy, as well as tourism and higher education, notably researchers and employees of Harvard University. From an agricultural standpoint, Massachusetts produces seafood, dairy, nursery stock, tobacco and cranberries. Industrial outputs include electrical equipment, publishing and scientific instruments.
Massachusetts Law and Government
Boston is both the largest city and the capital of Massachusetts. Democrat Deval Patrick is the current governor. Massachusetts legislature has 40 members in the senate members and 160 in the house of representatives. All Massachusetts congressional representatives are Democratic, including U.S. Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy.
Throughout the first half of the 1900s, Massachusetts and Boston were socially conservative, partly due to the influence of the New England Watch and Ward Society, led by Minister J. Frank Chase. Nowadays, Massachusetts is the epitome of a politically liberal state.
Massachusetts has a history of social progressivism, being the first state to abolish slavery in 1783 and a national leader in public education. In 2004, it became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Massachusetts Transportation
Logan International Airport in Boston is Massachusetts’s major airport. It's also one of the country’s busiest airports, serving as a focus city for several major air carriers.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) runs public transportation, such as buses, ferries and the subway in the Boston area, as well as commuter rail services to Worcester and Providence in Rhode Island.
I-91 runs north to south in New England, cutting through the western part of Massachusetts, while I-195 connects the state to Rhode Island. I-90, or the Massachusetts Turnpike, is the longest interstate highway in the U.S. going east to west. I-93, which is on the eastern side of the state, is Boston’s largest thoroughfare. It has undergone a huge rerouting project known as the “Big Dig” in order to alleviate the traffic congestion in the city.
Major Cities and Towns of Massachusetts
Boston played a huge role in Colonial American history. The Boston National Historical Park preserves some of the momentous sites that led to the creation of the United States. As one of the nation's most liberal cities, Boston continues to influence politics.
When it comes to culturally, Boston has a little something for everyone, whether you want to watch a performance of the Boston Ballet or browse beautiful artwork at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Every year during the Fourth of July, the acclaimed Boston Pops play on the banks of the Charles River. The Boston Marathon attracts runners from all over the country to participate.
Massachusetts Educational System
Historically, Massachusetts has always been dedicated to education, being the first state to require grammar schools in 1647. Boston Latin School and Harvard University are the oldest public high school and college, respectively, with Harvard noted for being the most prestigious educational institute worldwide. Massachusetts supports education spending and is known for a multitude of preparatory and boarding schools. Over 40 colleges are located in the greater Boston area, with five in the University of Massachusetts system.
Massachusetts Sports Teams and Recreational Activities
Major sports franchises and amateur teams have a long history in Massachusetts, most notably the Boston Red Sox baseball team. The Boston Braves also play baseball, while the Boston Celtics play basketball. The Boston Bruins are a hockey team and the New England Patriots play football. Golf is another big sport, with the PGA Championship making regular stops in the state. Additionally, Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College and Amherst all have multiple Division I sports teams.
Given the close proximity of forests and the beach, both cross-country skiing and boating are popular in Massachusetts. The state’s coastline is home to many sailboats and yachts, while the Appalachian Trail and Tully Trail are great hiking spots. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are all nearby and offer powdery slopes. Fishing is also a popular option, whether fly-fishing in one of the rivers, deep-sea fishing or ice fishing during the winter.
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