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{{Otheruses1|the U.S. state}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| Name = Massachusetts
| Fullname = Commonwealth of Massachusetts
| Flag = Flag_of_Massachusetts.svg
| Flaglink = [[Flag of Massachusetts]]
| Seal = Seal of the State of Massachusetts.svg
| Map = Map_of_USA_MA.svg
| Nickname = Bay State
| Motto = [[Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem]]
(Latin: By the sword she seeks peace under liberty)
| Demonym = Bay Stater<ref>{{cite web|title=Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealth|url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/2-35.htm|publisher=The Commonwealth of Massachusetts|accessdate=2008-02-29}}: "Bay Staters shall be the official designation of citizens of the commonwealth."</ref>
| Capital = [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]
| LargestCity = [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]
| LargestMetro = [[Greater Boston]]
| Governor = [[Deval Patrick]] (D)
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Tim Murray]] (D)
| Senators = [[Ted Kennedy]] (D)<br>[[John Kerry]] (D)
| PostalAbbreviation = MA
| TradAbbreviation = Mass.
| OfficialLang = English
| AreaRank = 44<sup>th</sup>
| TotalAreaUS = 10,555<ref>(formerly {{convert|43969|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}. before Maine became a separate state)</ref><!-- To nearest sqmi., from USCensus web page-->
| TotalArea = 27,336 <!--conversion to nearest km²-->
| LandAreaUS = 7,840
| LandArea = 20,306
| WaterAreaUS = 2,715
| WaterArea = 7,031
| PCWater = 25.7 <!--calculation: Water area over Total area-->
| PopRank = 14<sup>th</sup>
| 2000Pop (old) = 6,349,097
| 2004Pop(Est.) = 6,416,506
| 2000Pop = 6,449,755 (2007 est.)<ref>http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html 2007 Population Estimates</ref>
| DensityRank = 3<sup>rd</sup>
| 2000DensityUS = 809.8 <!--from USCensus web site, confirmed by calc-->
| 2000Density = 312.7
| MedianHouseholdIncome = $56,592 |
IncomeRank = 7<sup>th</sup> |
| AdmittanceOrder = 6<sup>th</sup>
| AdmittanceDate = February 6, 1788
| TimeZone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]: [[UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|-4]]
| Latitude = 41°&#8202;14′ N to 42°&#8202;53′ N
| Longitude = 69°&#8202;56′ W to 73°&#8202;30′ W
| LengthUS = 113
| Length = 182
| WidthUS = 183
| Width = 295
| HighestPoint = [[Mount Greylock]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| date =29 April 2005 | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessdate = November 6| accessyear = 2006}}</ref> |
| HighestElevUS = 3,492
| HighestElev = 1,064
| MeanElevUS = 500
| MeanElev = 150
| LowestPoint = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=usgs/>
| LowestElevUS = 0
| LowestElev = 0
| ISOCode = US-MA
| Website = www.mass.gov
}}
{{Infobox U.S. state symbols
|Name = Massachusetts
|Bird = [[Black-capped Chickadee]], [[Wild Turkey]]
|Fish = [[Atlantic cod|Cod]]
|Flower = [[Epigaea repens|Mayflower]]
|Insect = [[Coccinella septempunctata|Ladybug]]
|Mammal = [[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 chip cookie]], [[Boston cream donut]]
|Fossil = [[Mastodon]]
|Gemstone = [[Rhodonite]]
|Mineral = [[Babingtonite]]
|Poem = [http://www.masshome.com/mapoem.html "Blue Hills of Massachusetts"]
|StateRock = [[Roxbury Puddingstone]]
|Shell = Wrinkled [[Whelk]]
|Ships = ''[[Schooner Ernestina]]''
|Slogan = ''Make It Yours'',<br>''The Spirit of America''
|Soil = [[Paxton (soil)|Paxton]]
|Song = ''[[All Hail to Massachusetts]]'',<br>''[[Massachusetts (Arlo Guthrie song)|Massachusetts]]'',<br>''[[The Road to Boston]]'',<br>''[[Massachusetts (Because of You Our Land is Free)]]'',<br>''[[The Great State of Massachusetts]]'',<br>''[[Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts]]'',<br>''[[Ode to Massachusetts]]''
|Sport = [[Basketball]]
|Route Marker = MA Route 24.svg
|Quarter = 2000 MA Proof.png
|QuarterReleaseDate = 2000
}}
The '''Commonwealth of Massachusetts''' ({{Audio-IPA|en-us-Massachusetts.ogg|/ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɨts/}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[New England]] region of the [[Northeastern United States|northeastern]] United States. It borders [[Rhode Island]] and [[Connecticut]] to the south, New York to the west, and [[Vermont]] and [[New Hampshire]] to the north. Most of its population of 6.4&nbsp;million live in the [[Boston metropolitan area]]. The eastern half of this relatively small state is mostly [[urban area|urban]] and [[suburban]], while [[Western Massachusetts]] is mostly rural. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states. It ranks third among U.S. states in overall [[List of U.S. states by population density|population density]] and fourth in [[List of U.S. states by GDP per capita (nominal)|GDP per capita.]]

Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history. [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] was the second permanent English settlement in North America. Many of Massachusetts' towns were founded by colonists from England in the 1620s and 1630s. During the eighteenth century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the foment there which led to the [[American Revolution]] and the [[independence]] of the United States from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]. In the nineteenth century, Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to abolish [[slavery]]. Also, it was a center of the [[temperance movement]] and [[abolitionist]] activity preceding the [[American Civil War]]. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize [[same-sex marriage]]. The state has contributed many prominent politicians to national service, including the [[Adams family]] and, more recently, the [[Kennedy family]].

Originally dependent on agriculture and trade with Europe, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the [[Industrial Revolution]]. During the first half of the twentieth century, the migration of factories to lower-wage Southern states caused economic stagnation. The economy of Massachusetts revived after [[World War II]], and began thriving during the 1990s. The state is a leader in [[higher education]], [[health care]], and [[high technology]].

==Name==
The [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] was named after the indigenous population, the [[Massachuset]], 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 Reservation|Blue Hills]], or in particular, [[Great Blue Hill]], located on the boundary of [[Milton, Massachusetts|Milton]] and [[Canton, Massachusetts|Canton]], to the southwest of Boston.<ref>This derivation is located in C. Lawrence Bond, ''Native Names of New England Towns and Villages'', privately published, Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1991. The pamphlet was never mass produced but it is probably obtainable through the library or bookstores in [[Topsfield]].</ref><ref name="Camp">Salwen, Bert, 1978. ''Indians of Southern New England and Long Island: Early Period''. In "Northeast", ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of "Handbook of North American Indians", ed. William C. Sturtevant, pp. 160–176. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Quoted in: Campbell, Lyle. 1997. ''American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 401</ref><ref>Bright, William (2004). ''Native American Place Names of the United States''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 270</ref> (c.f. the [[Massachusett language|Narragansett]] name ''Massachusêuck'';<ref name="Camp" /> [[Anishinaabe language|Ojibwe]] ''misajiwensed'', "of the little big hill").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freelang.net/dictionary/ojibwe.html |title=Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary |publisher=Freelang.net}}</ref>

Massachusetts is officially a "[[Commonwealth (United States)|commonwealth]]." Colloquially, it is often referred to simply as "the Commonwealth," although "state" is used interchangeably. 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 and a similar form of internal government.

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Massachusetts}}
[[Image:National-atlas-massachusetts.png|thumb|250px|Prominent roads and cities in Massachusetts]]
Massachusetts is bordered on the north by [[New Hampshire]] and [[Vermont]]; on the west by New York; on the south by [[Connecticut]] and [[Rhode Island]]; and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state is uplands of resistant metamorphic rock that were scraped by [[Pleistocene]] glaciers that deposited moraines and outwash on a large, sandy, arm-shaped peninsula called [[Cape Cod]] and the islands [[Martha's Vineyard]] and [[Nantucket]] to the south of Cape Cod. Upland elevations increase to the north and west and the highest point in the state is [[Mount Greylock]] at {{convert|3491|ft|m|0}} near the state's northwest corner.
[[Image:Pioneer Valley South From Mt. Sugarloaf.jpg|thumb|left|A portion of the north-central [[Pioneer Valley]] near [[South Deerfield, Massachusetts|South Deerfield]].]]
The uplands are interrupted by the downfaulted Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River and further west by the [[Housatonic River|Housatonic]] Valley separating the [[The Berkshires|Berkshire Hills]] from the [[Taconic Range]] along the western border with [[Geography of New York|New York]].

[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] is located at the innermost point of [[Massachusetts Bay]], at the mouth of the [[Charles River]], the longest river entirely within Massachusetts. Most of the population of the [[Greater Boston|Boston metropolitan area]] (approximately 4.4 million) does not live in the city proper; eastern Massachusetts on the whole is fairly densely populated and largely [[suburb]]an as far west as [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]].

Central Massachusetts encompasses Worcester County, and includes the cities of [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Fitchburg, Massachusetts|Fitchburg]], [[Leominster, Massachusetts|Leominster]], [[Gardner, Massachusetts|Gardner]], [[Southbridge, Massachusetts|Southbridge]] and small upland towns, forests, and small farms. The [[Quabbin Reservoir]] borders the western side of the county, and is the main water supply for the eastern part of the state.<ref> The North Quabbin Woods: www.northquabbinwoods.org</ref><ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cispdf/ma_city_town.pdf Massachusetts Cities and Towns]|390&nbsp;KB}} (map; see text on map). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 14, 2007.</ref>

The [[Pioneer Valley]] along the [[Connecticut River]] in [[Western Massachusetts]] is urbanized from the [[Connecticut]] border (and greater [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]) to north as far as [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], and includes [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], [[Chicopee, Massachusetts|Chicopee]], [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]], [[Westfield, Massachusetts|Westfield]], and [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]]. Pioneer Valley economy and population was influenced by agriculturally productive Connecticut River Valley land in the 17th and 18th century, water power for the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the 19th century and expansion of higher education in the 20th century.

[[Image:Massachusetts Relief 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Massachusetts [[Terrain]]]]
The remainder of the state west of Pioneer Valley is mainly uplands, a range of small mountains known as the Berkshires, and also includes parts of the Taconic and Hoosac Ranges. It is the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Lenox), Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge), Mount Everett and Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. It largely remained in aboriginal hands until the 18th century when Scotch-Irish settlers arrived and found the more productive lands already settled. Availability of better land in western New York and then the [[Northwest Territory]] soon put the upland agricultural population into decline. Available water power led to 19th century settlement along upland rivers. [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]] and [[North Adams, Massachusetts|North Adams]] grew into small cities and there are a number of smaller mill towns along the [[Westfield River]].
The geographic center of the state is in the town of [[Rutland, Massachusetts|Rutland]], in Worcester county.
The [[National Park Service]] administers a number of natural and historical [[List of areas in the National Park System in Massachusetts|sites in Massachusetts]].

The fourteen counties, moving roughly from west to east, are
[[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire]],
[[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]],
[[Hampshire County, Massachusetts|Hampshire]],
[[Hampden County, Massachusetts|Hampden]],
[[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester]],
[[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex]],
[[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]],
[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk]],
[[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk]],
[[Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol]],
[[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth]],
[[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable]],
[[Dukes County, Massachusetts|Dukes]], and
[[Nantucket County, Massachusetts|Nantucket]].
All but two of the Commonwealth's counties are named for British counties, cities, or nobles.

===Flora and fauna===
The primary [[biome]] of inland Massachusetts is [[temperate deciduous forest]]. However, much
of the state has been logged, leaving only traces of [[old growth forest]] in isolated pockets.
Secondary growth has regenerated in many [[woodlot]]s and [[forest]]s, particularly in the western half of Massachusetts. [[Urbanization]], particularly in the eastern half of the state, has affected much of Massachusetts. No longer are there vast expanses of wilderness. [[Gray Wolf]], [[Elk]], [[Wolverine]] and [[Mountain Lion]] once occurred here but have long since disappeared.
[[Image:PipingPlover23.jpg|thumb|left|[[Piping Plover]]s frequent Massachusetts dunes and beaches]]

Wildlife species that are doing well are adapting to a changing setting. [[Coyote]], [[White-tailed Deer]], [[Raccoon]], and [[Wild Turkey]] are now found in suburbs of major cities and are increasing in population. [[American Black Bear|Black Bear]] and [[moose]] have made comebacks in western and central Massachusetts, and are slowly expanding their range. [[Peregrine Falcon]] can be found nesting on artificial platforms on many of the state's tallest buildings in larger cities such as [[Boston]], [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]].

The [[Atlantic Flyway]] is the primary migration route for North American bird species. [[Common Loon]] are a relatively recent addition to the breeding bird list, their nests at the [[Wachusett Reservoir]] are considered the most southerly in the world population of this species. A significant portion of the eastern population of [[Long-tailed Duck]] winter off [[Nantucket]]. Small offshore islands are home to a significant population of breeding [[Roseate Tern]]s, and some beaches are important breeding areas to the endangered [[Piping Plover]].


Massachusetts has an extensive [[coastline]] and has a declining commercial fishery out to the [[continental shelf]]. [[Atlantic cod]], [[haddock]] and [[American lobster]] are species harvested here. [[Gray Seal]] have a large nursery near [[Monomoy Island]] and other islands in [[Nantucket Sound]]. [[Harbor seals]] are commonly seen feeding and playing just offshore year round. Finally, a significant number of the endangered [[North Atlantic Right Whale]]s summer on feeding grounds in [[Cape Cod Bay]], so many that the state has recently unveiled a special license plate depicting a right whale with the slogan, "Preserve The Trust". It is an attempt to raise public awareness that these animals are in fact endangered. [[Whale watching]] is a popular summer activity off the coast of Massachusetts. Boats regularly sail to [[Stellwagen Bank]] to view species such as [[Humpback Whale]], [[Fin Whale]], [[Minke Whale]] and [[Atlantic White-sided Dolphin]].

==Geology==
A field guide to the geology of NE Massachusetts and SE New Hampshire by Hon, R. , Hepburn, J.C. & Laird, Jo. (Siluro-Devonian igneous rocks of the easternmost three terranes in southeastern New England: examples from NE Massachusetts and SE New Hampshire. Guidbook to field trips in New Hampshire, adjacent Maine and Massachusetts, 42nd Ann Meet. NEGSA, March 11, 2007, p. 23–43) can be accessed at {{PDFlink|[http://instruct.uwo.ca/earth-sci/fieldlog/cal_napp/napp/new_eng_maritimes/Nashoba_Avalon/NEGSAFT_F4.pdf Field Guide]|3.60&nbsp;MB}}; and a Google Earth .kmz file(Avalon_Nashoba.kmz)showing the field stops and associated geological map overlays can be downloaded from [http://instruct.uwo.ca/earth-sci/fieldlog/Google_Earth/ Google Earth].

==History==
{{main|History of Massachusetts}}
[[Image:MayflowerHarbor.jpg|thumb|200px|''Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor'' by [[William Halsall]] (1882)]]

===Early===
Massachusetts was originally inhabited by several Algonquian tribes: the [[Wampanoag]], [[Nauset]], [[Nipmuc]], [[Pocomtuc]], [[Pennacook]], [[Mahican]], [[Massachuset]], and some [[Narragansett]] and [[Pequot]]. A vast number of the indigenous people were killed by waves of [[smallpox]] inadvertently brought to the New World by Sir [[Herbert Popham]] and his ship to the [[Saco, Maine|Saco]], [[Maine]] area in 1616.

===Colonial period===
The first European settlers in Massachusetts, the [[Pilgrims]], established their settlement at [[Plymouth (town), Massachusetts|Plymouth]] in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native [[Wampanoag]]. This was the second successful permanent English colony in North America, after the [[Jamestown Colony]]; both were preceded by temporary camps, the unsuccessful [[Popham Colony]], and Spanish settlements in Florida in the 1500s. Most early settlers came from within {{convert|60|mi|km|-1}} of [[Haverhill, Suffolk|Haverhill, England]]. The Pilgrims were soon followed by more [[Puritan]]s who established the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] at present-day [[Boston]] in 1630. The Puritans, whose beliefs included exclusive understanding of the literal truth of the Bible, came to Massachusetts for religious freedom. Dissenters such as [[Anne Hutchinson]], [[Roger Williams (theologian)|Roger Williams]], and [[Thomas Hooker]] left Massachusetts because of the Puritan society's lack of religious tolerance. In 1636, Williams founded the colony of [[Rhode Island]], and Hooker founded [[Connecticut]].

By 1636, the colonists had also begun to settle the inland [[Pioneer Valley]] along the [[Connecticut River]], where the state's best [[agriculture|agricultural]] land is concentrated.

Native American-European racial tensions led to [[King Philip's War]] of the years 1675–76. [[Mendon, Massachusetts|Mendon]] was involved in an early battle in July 1675 and settlers were killed in the [[Blackstone Valley]]. There were major campaigns in this war in the [[Pioneer Valley]] and [[Plymouth Colony]]. In 1690 there was an unsuccessful [[Battle of Quebec (1690)|expedition against French Quebec]] under [[William Phips]]. Massachusetts became a single colony in 1692, the largest in [[New England]], and one where many American institutions and traditions were formed. The colony fought alongside British regulars in a series of [[French and Indian Wars]] that were characterized by brutal border raids and successful attacks on British forces in [[New France]] (present-day Canada).
[[Image:Percy's Rescue at Lexington Detail.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Percy's Rescue at Lexington by [[Ralph Earl]] and Amos Doolittle from 1775.]]

Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]], earning it the nickname, the "Cradle of Liberty". Colonists here had long had uneasy relations with the English monarchy, including open rebellion under the [[Dominion of New England]] in the 1680s.

The [[Boston Tea Party]] is an example of the protest spirit of the later pre-revolutionary period in the 1770s, and the [[Boston Massacre]] is a famous incident which escalated the conflict. Actions by patriots such as [[Samuel Adams|Sam Adams]] and [[John Hancock]] followed by counter-actions by the Crown were a main 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, Massachusetts|Concord]] and [[Lexington, Massachusetts|Lexington]].

===Federal period===
After independence and during the formative years of independent American government, [[Shays' Rebellion]] was an [[rebellion|armed uprising]] in the western half of the state from 1786 to 1787. The rebels were mostly small farmers angered by crushing war debt and taxes which resulted from their lack of representation in Congress.

===19th century===
On March 15, 1820, [[Maine]] separated from Massachusetts, of which it had been a non-contiguous part, and entered the Union as the 23rd state as a result of the ratification of the [[Missouri Compromise]].<ref>{{cite web| year = | url =http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm | title =Maine History (Statehood)| publisher =www.maine.gov| accessdate = April 11| accessyear = 2008}}</ref>

During the 19th century, Massachusetts and the [[New England]] region became a national and world leader in the [[Industrial Revolution]], with the development of machine tools and textiles. The economy transformed from primarily [[agriculture|agricultural]] to industrial, initially making use of its many rivers, and later the steam engine to power factories for textiles, [[shoe]]s, [[furniture]], and machinery that drew labor from [[Yankee]]s on subsistence farms at first, and later drew upon [[Immigration to United States|immigrant]] labor from Canada and Europe.

[[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 [[Transcendentalism]] movement, they emphasized the importance of the natural world to humanity.

In the years leading up to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Massachusetts was a center of [[social progressivism]], the [[temperance movement]], and [[abolitionist]] activity within the United States. Antagonism to these views resulted in anti-abolitionist riots in Massachusetts between 1835 and 1837. The works of abolitionists contributed to subsequent actions of the state during the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to abolish slavery, in a 1783 judicial interpretation of its 1780 constitution, and was the first state to recruit, train, and arm a [[African-American|Black]] regiment with [[White (people)|White]] officers, the [[54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry]].

Massachusetts would establish itself as a leader in education and innovation during this time. [[Alexander Graham Bell]] invented his [[telephone]] in Boston in 1876.

===20th century===
The industrial economy began a decline in the early twentieth century with the exodus of many manufacturing companies. By the 1920s competition from the South, followed by the [[Great Depression]], led to the collapse of Massachusetts' two main industries, textiles and shoes, although a few companies would survive into the 1950s. In the years following [[World War II]], Massachusetts was transformed from a factory system to a largely service and high-tech based economy. Some manufacturing does exist in the State today, generally in specialized markets.

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 [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]] corridor was dotted with [[high tech|high-technology]] companies who recruited graduates of the area's many elite institutions of higher education.

The [[Kennedy family]] was prominent in Massachusetts politics in the 20th century, especially with President [[John F. Kennedy]] in the 1960s. The famous Kennedy Compound is located at [[Hyannisport]] on [[Cape Cod]].

===21st century===
[[Image:Boston Tunnel Entrance.jpg|thumb|right|"Big Dig" Tunnel Northbound Entrance, [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]]]
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, Massachusetts|Salem]], [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] and the Berkshires.

In 1987, the state received federal funding for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. Known as the "the [[Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts)|Big Dig]]," it was at the time the biggest federal highway project ever approved. Often controversial, with its estimated $14.6 billion price tag, and claims of mismanagement, the Big Dig has changed the face of Downtown [[Boston]], connecting areas that were once divided by elevated highway, and improving traffic conditions (although traffic problems still exist).

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to legalize [[Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]], and the sixth jurisdiction in the world (after the Netherlands, Belgium, [[Ontario]], [[British Columbia]], and [[Quebec]]) to do so.

In 2008, citizens of the state voted to decriminalize the possesion marijuana. As of 04 December 2008, a person, 18 years of age or older, caught with ounce or less of marijuana can be charged with a 100$ fine and it will only be concidered a civil violation (rather than criminal). Also on that ballot, the citizens voted to ban greyhound racing in the state.

==Demographics==
===Population===
{{USCensusPop
|1790 = 378787
|1800 = 422845
|1810 = 472040
|1820 = 523287
|1830 = 610408
|1840 = 737699
|1850 = 994514
|1860 = 1231066
|1870 = 1457351
|1880 = 1783085
|1890 = 2238947
|1900 = 2805346
|1910 = 3366416
|1920 = 3852356
|1930 = 4249614
|1940 = 4316721
|1950 = 4690514
|1960 = 5148578
|1970 = 5689170
|1980 = 5737037
|1990 = 6016425
|2000 = 6349097
|estyear = 2007
|estimate = 6449755
| footnote= '''Sources:'''<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/table-16.pdf Population: 1790 to 1990]|35.4&nbsp;KB}} census.gov</ref><ref>[http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/tab02.txt Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: Census 2000] census.gov</ref><ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2007-01.xls Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1 2000 to July 1, 2007]</ref>
}}
Massachusetts had an estimated 2006 population of 6,437,193. An estimated increase of 3,826, or 0.1%, from the prior year and an increase of 88,088, or 1.4%, since the year 2000. This includes an increase since the last census of 149,992&nbsp;people (499,440&nbsp;births minus 349,448&nbsp;deaths) and a decrease from net migration of 89,812&nbsp;people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 200,155&nbsp;people, and net migration within the country resulted in a loss of 289,967&nbsp;people. As of 2000, Massachusetts is the [[List of U.S. states by population density|third most densely populated U.S. state]], with 809.8 per square mile (312.68 per square kilometer), after [[New Jersey]] and [[Rhode Island]], and ahead of [[Connecticut]] and [[Maryland]].

Massachusetts has seen both population increases and decreases in recent years. For example, while some Bay Staters are leaving, others including Asian, Hispanic and African immigrants, arrive to replace them. Massachusetts in 2004 included 881,400&nbsp;foreign-born residents.

Most Bay Staters live within a 60&nbsp;mile radius of the [[Massachusetts State House|State House]] on [[Beacon Hill]], often called [[Greater Boston]]: the City of Boston, neighboring cities and towns, the [[North Shore (Massachusetts)|North Shore]], [[South Shore (Massachusetts)|South Shore]], the northern, western, and southern suburbs, and most of southeastern and central Massachusetts. Eastern Massachusetts is more urban than [[Western Massachusetts]], which is primarily rural, save for the cities of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], [[Chicopee, Massachusetts|Chicopee]], and [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], which serve as centers of population density in the Pioneer Valley of the Connecticut River. The [[center of population]] of Massachusetts is located in [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]], in the town of [[Natick, Massachusetts|Natick]].<ref> [http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt Population and Population Centers by State: 2000]. United States Census Bureau, United States Deparatment of Commerce. Retrieved January 14, 2007.</ref>
[[Image:Massachusetts population map.png|thumb|right|270px|Massachusetts Population Density Map]]

===Race, ancestry, and language===
{{US Demographics}}
The five largest reported ancestries in Massachusetts are: [[Irish American|Irish]] (23.5%), [[Italian American|Italian]] (13.5%), [[French American|French/French Canadian]] (or [[French American|Franco-American]]) (12.9%), [[English American|English]] (11.4%), [[German American|German]] (5.9%).

Massachusetts is the most Irish state in the country in terms of percentage of total population. Massachusetts also has large communities of people of [[Finnish American|Finnish]] and [[Swedish American|Swedish]] descent; Armenian, [[Lebanese American|Lebanese]] (Worcester) descent; and [[Italian American|Italian]] descent. Other influential ethnicities are [[Greek Americans]], [[Lithuanian Americans]] and [[Polish Americans]]. Massachusetts "[[Yankee]]s," of colonial English ancestry, still have a strong presence. [[French Americans]] are the largest group in parts of western and central Massachusetts. Boston's largest immigrant group consists of [[Haitians]]. [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]] and [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]] on the south coast have large populations of people with [[Portuguese American|Portuguese]], [[Brazilian American|Brazilian]], and [[History of Cape Verdean immigration in the United States|Cape Verdean]] heritage, which is also very prevalent in the [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]] area. There is a growing Brazilian population in the Boston area (especially in [[Framingham]]) and also an abundant population of Brazilians thrive in [[Cape Cod, Massachusetts|Cape Cod]] especially in [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]], [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]], and [[Yarmouth, Massachusetts|Yarmouth]]. [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], in the northeast of the state, is home to the second largest [[Cambodian American|Cambodian (Khmer)]] community in the country, outside of [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], [[California]]. Although most of the Native Americans intermarried or died in King Philip's War (1675), the [[Wampanoag]] tribe maintains reservations at [[Aquinnah, Massachusetts|Aquinnah]], Grafton, on Martha's Vineyard, and [[Mashpee, Massachusetts|Mashpee]].<ref>Associated Press. [http://wbztv.com/topstories/local_story_046132927.html Wampanoag Tribe Receives Federal Recognition] ''WBZ-TV,'' Boston Massachusetts. Retrieved February 20, 2007.</ref><ref>Weber, David. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/02/15/mashpee_wampanoag_indians_receive_federal_recognition/ Mashpee Wampanoag Indians receive federal recognition] ''The Boston Globe'' February 15, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2007.</ref> The [[Nipmuck]] maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state. Other Wampanoags and other Native people live scattered around the state outside of reservations.

According to the [[2000 U.S. Census]], 6.21% of the population aged 5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 2.68% speak Portuguese, 1.44% French, and 1.00% Italian.<ref>[http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=25&mode=state_tops Most spoken languages in Massachusetts] ''MLA Language Map Data Center.'' Modern Language Association. Retrieved February 23, 2007.</ref>

===Religion===
Massachusetts was founded and settled by staunch [[Puritan]]s in the 17th century. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the [[Congregational church|Congregational]]/[[United Church of Christ]] and [[Unitarian Universalist]] churches. Both of these denominations are noted for their strong support of social justice, civil rights, and moral issues, including strong and early advocacy of abolition of slavery, women's rights, and (after 2000) legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The world headquarters of the Unitarian-Universalist Church is located on Beacon Hill in Boston. Today Protestants make up less than 1/4 of the state's population. [[Roman Catholic]]s now predominate because of massive immigration from Ireland, [[Quebec]], Italy, Poland, Portugal, [[Puerto Rico]], and the [[Dominican Republic]]. A large [[Jewish]] population came to the Boston area 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 and the Insight Meditation Center (Barre) are examples of non-western religious centers in Massachusetts.

According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] the largest single denominations are the [[Catholic Church]] with 3,092,296; the [[United Church of Christ]] with 121,826; and the [[Episcopal Church]] with 98,963 adherents. [[Judaism|Jewish congregrations]] had about 275,000 members.<ref>http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/25_2000.asp</ref>

The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts, according to a 2001 survey, are shown in the table below:<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm | title=American Religious Identification Survey | work=Exhibit 15 | publisher = The Graduate Center, City University of New York | accessdate = 2007-09-21}}</ref>

*[[Christianity|Christian]] &ndash; 69%
**[[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] &ndash; 44%
**[[Protestantism|Protestant]] &ndash; 22%
***[[Baptist]] &ndash; 4%
***[[Congregational church|Congregational]]/[[United Church of Christ]] &ndash; 3%
***[[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] &ndash; 3%
***[[Methodism|Methodist]] &ndash; 2%
***[[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] &ndash; 2%
***Other Protestant or general Protestant &ndash; 8%
**Other or General Christian &ndash; 3%
*[[Judaism|Jewish]] &ndash; 2%
*Other Religions &ndash; 6%
*Non-Religious &ndash; 16%
*Refused to answer &ndash; 7%

===Emigration and Immigration===
The latest (2007) estimated Census population figures show that Massachusetts has grown by slightly over 1 percent, to 6,449,755, since 2000.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2007-01.xls Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1 2000 to July 1, 2007]</ref> This slow growth is likely attributable to the fact that Massachusetts continues to attract top scholars and researchers from across the United States as well as large numbers of [[immigrant]]s, combined with steady emigration away from the state towards [[New Hampshire]] and southern and western regions of the U.S. because of high housing costs, [[taxes]], weather, and traffic.

Recent [[census]] data shows that the number of immigrants living in Massachusetts has increased over 15% from 2000–2005. The biggest influxes are Latin Americans. According to the census, the population of Central Americans rose by 67.7&nbsp;percent between 2000 and 2005, and the number of South Americans rose by 107.5&nbsp;percent. And among South Americans, the largest group to increase appeared to be Brazilians, whose numbers rose by 131.4&nbsp;percent, to 84,836. This surge of immigrants tends to offset [[emigration]], and, of course, given the 350,000 increase in population in the Commonwealth between 1990 and 2000, many immigrants to Massachusetts come from elsewhere in the USA.

Following the shift to a high-tech economy and the numerous factory closures, few jobs remain for low skilled male workers, who are dropping out of the workforce in large numbers. The percentage of men in the labor force fell from 77.7% in 1989 to 72.8% in 2005. This national trend is most pronounced in Massachusetts. In the case of men without high school diplomas, 10% have left the labor force between 1990 and 2000.<ref>Article [[Boston Globe]] December 10, 2006, "Bay State's labor force diminishing"</ref>

==Economy==
[[Image:Massachusetts quarter, reverse side, 2000.jpg|left|50px]]
[[Image:USCurrency Federal Reserve.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Crane Paper Company]] in [[Dalton, Massachusetts|Dalton]] produces the paper material used for printing U.&nbsp;S. [[Federal Reserve note]]s]]
[http://www.bea.gov/ The Bureau of Economic Analysis] estimates that Massachusetts's gross state product in 2006 was US $338 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was US$42,102, making it the 2nd highest, just behind that of Connecticut. Gross state product increased 2.6% from 2004 to 2005, below the national average of 3.5%.<ref>http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/GSPNewsRelease.htm, accessed 18 September 2006</ref>

Sectors vital to the Massachusetts [[Economics|economy]] include [[higher education]], biotechnology, finance, [[health care]], [[financial services]] and tourism. Route 128 was a main center for the development of [[minicomputers]]. Massachusetts was the home of many of the largest computer companies such as [[Digital Equipment Corporation]], [[Data General]], and [[Wang Laboratories]] situated around Route 128 and Route 495 (another beltway approximately {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} farther away from Boston). Most of the larger companies fell into decline after the rise of the personal computer, which was based in large part on software such as [[Visicalc]] and [[Lotus 1-2-3]] and hardware technology such as memory and operating systems developed by many of these companies. High technology remains an important sector, though few of the largest technology companies are based there.

Its agricultural outputs are seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, cranberries, tobacco and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, scientific instruments, printing, and publishing. Thanks largely to the [[Ocean Spray (cooperative)|Ocean Spray]] cooperative, Massachusetts is the second largest cranberry producing state in the union (after [[Wisconsin]]).

As of 2005, there were 6,100&nbsp;farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of {{convert|520000|acre|km2|-1}}, averaging 85&nbsp;acres apiece. Almost 2,300 of Massachusetts' 6,100 farms grossed under $2,500 in 2007. This very low mode income shows that most farms in Massachusetts are not the primary sources of income for their owners.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_MA.pdf]|34.5&nbsp;KB}}</ref> Particular agricultural products of note include [[tobacco]]; animals and animal products; and fruits, tree nuts, and berries, for which the state is nationally ranked 11th, 17th, and 16th, respectively.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_MA.pdf]|34.5&nbsp;KB}}</ref>

Massachusetts has a flat-rate personal [[income tax]] of 5.3%, with an exemption for income below a threshold that varies from year to year. The state imposes a 5% [[sales tax]] on retail sales of tangible personal property—except for groceries, clothing, and periodicals—in Massachusetts by any vendor. The 5% sales tax is charged on clothing that costs more than $175.00. Only the amount over $175.00 is taxed. All real and tangible [[personal property]] located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. The administration of the assessment and collection of all real and tangible personal [[property tax]]es in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is handled by the city and town assessor and collected in the jurisdiction where the property is located. Massachusetts imposes a tax on any gains from the sale or exchange of capital assets held for more than one year. The state also collects a 12% tax on the sale or exchange of capital assets held for one year or less (short-term capital gains). Interest from non-Massachusetts banks is no longer taxed at 12%, but the first $100 of interest from Massachusetts banks is tax exempt from even the 5.3% tax. There is no [[inheritance tax]] and limited Massachusetts [[estate tax]] related to federal estate tax collection.<ref>[http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=dorterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Individuals+and+Families&L2=Personal+Income+Tax&L3=Current+Year+Tax+Information&L4=Guide+to+Personal+Income+Tax&sid=Ador&b=terminalcontent&f=dor_help_guides_abate_amend_personal_issues_ratestax&csid=Ador www.mass.gov], Massachusetts Tax Rates</ref>

A recent review by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found 13&nbsp;states, including several of the nation's largest, face budget shortfalls for FY2009. Massachusetts faces a [[deficit]] that could be as large as $1.2 billion.<ref>[http://www.massbudget.org/article.php?id=609 Budget Monitor: House 2: Governor's FY 2009 Budget Proposal], Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center</ref><ref>[http://www.cbpp.org/12-18-07sfp.htm 13 States Face Total Budget Shortfall of at Least $23 Billion in 2009; 11 Others Expect Budget Problems, 12/18/07], Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</ref>
{{see also|Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}

==Transportation==
{{see also|Category:Transportation in Massachusetts}}
===Air service===
The major airport in the state is [[Logan International Airport]]. The airport serves as a [[focus city]] for [[American Airlines]], [[Delta Air Lines]], [[US Airways]], and [[JetBlue Airways]].

[[Bradley International Airport]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]], [[TF Green Airport]] in [[Warwick, Rhode Island]], and [[Manchester-Boston Regional Airport]] in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]] also serve as airports to the state as all three are located near the border.

Massachusetts has approximately 42 public-use airfields, and over 200 private landing spots.<ref>http://www.massaeronautics.org/default.asp?pgid=AeroAbout&sid=level2</ref> Some airports receive funding from the [[Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission]] and the [[Federal Aviation Administration]], which is also the primary regulator. Logan, [[Worcester Regional Airport]] and [[Hanscom Field]] are operated by [[Massport]], a state transportation agency.

{{further|[[List of airports in Massachusetts]]}}

===Road===
Interstate highways crossing the state include: [[Interstate 91|I-91]], [[Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)|I-291]], [[Interstate 84 (east)|I-84]], [[Interstate 93|I-93]], [[Interstate 95 in Massachusetts|I-95]], [[Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)|I-495]], [[Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)|I-195]], [[Interstate 395 (Connecticut)|I-395]], [[Interstate 90|I-90]] (the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]]), [[Interstate 290 (Massachusetts)|I-290]], and [[Interstate 190 (Massachusetts)|I-190]] . Other major thoroughfares are [[U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts|U.S. 1]], [[Route 2 (Massachusetts)|Route 2]], [[Route 3 (Massachusetts)|Route 3]], [[U.S. Route 3 (Massachusetts)|U.S. Route 3]], [[U.S. Route 6]], [[U.S. Route 20]], [[Route 24 (Massachusetts)|Route 24]], and [[Route 128 (Massachusetts)|Route 128]]. A massive undertaking to depress [[Interstate 93|I-93]] in the [[Boston]] [[downtown]] area called the [[Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts)|Big Dig]] has brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny over the last decade.

===Transit===
The [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA) operates public transportation in the form of [[Rapid transit|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, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], [[Rhode Island]].

Sixteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in their local communities. The regional transit authorities are:<ref>http://www.eot.state.ma.us//default.asp?pgid=content/rtacontact&sid=about</ref><ref name=matra>{{cite web | url = http://www.matransit.com/ | title = Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities | publisher = Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities | accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref>

*[[Berkshire Regional Transit Authority]]
*''[[Brockton Area Transit Authority]]''
*''[[Cape Ann Transportation Authority]]''
*[[Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority]]
*[[Franklin Regional Transit Authority]]
*''[[Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority]]''
*[[Greenfield Montague Transportation Area]]
*''[[Lowell Regional Transit Authority]]''
*[[Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority]]
*''[[Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority]]''
*''[[MetroWest Regional Transit Authority]]''
*''[[Montachusett Regional Transit Authority]]''
*[[Nantucket Regional Transit Authority]]
*[[Pioneer Valley Transit Authority]]
*[[Southeastern Regional Transit Authority]]
*''[[Worcester Regional Transit Authority]]''

The regional transit authorities shown in ''italics'' above are within MBTA's commuter rail service area, and provide connections to MBTA's trains.<ref name=effrep>{{cite web | url = http://www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/chap196/MBTAreport.pdf | title = Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, Regional Transit Authorities Coordination and Efficiencies Report | publisher = Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation | accessdate = 2008-05-06|format=PDF}}</ref>

===Planning===
Massachusetts has 10 regional [[metropolitan planning organization]]s:<ref>[http://www.eot.state.ma.us//default.asp?pgid=content/mpodistrictmap&sid=about Map of MPOs in Massachusetts]</ref>
* Berkshire<ref>http://berkshireplanning.org/3/index.php3</ref>
* Pioneer Valley<ref>http://www.pvpc.org/activities/transportation-mpo.shtml</ref>
* Central Massachusetts<ref>http://www.cmrpc.org/CMMPO.aspx</ref>
* Monachusett<ref>http://www.mrpc.org/</ref>
* Merrimack Valley<ref>http://www.mvpc.org/index.asp?menu=wp128200612324&page=wp128200612324&tm=wp1282006112724</ref>
* Northern Middlesex<ref>http://www.nmcog.org/</ref>
* Boston Region<ref>http://www.ctps.org/bostonmpo/</ref>
* Old Colony<ref>http://www.ocpcrpa.org/mpo2.html</ref>
* Southeastern Massachusetts <ref>http://www.srpedd.org/mpo.html</ref>
* Cape Cod<ref>http://www.gocapecod.org/mpo/</ref>

and 3 non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state:<ref name="mpogeo">[http://www.eot.state.ma.us/default.asp?pgid=planning/MPOdocs&sid=about] - includes geodata describing MPO boundaries</ref>
* Franklin<ref>http://www.frcog.org/</ref>
* Martha's Vineyard Commission<ref>http://www.mvcommission.org/planning/transportation.html</ref>
* Nantucket<ref>http://www.nantucket-ma.gov/Pages/NantucketMA_Planning/transplan</ref>

State-wide planning is handled by the [[Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation]].

==Law, government, and politics==
[[Image:Mass statehouse eb1.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Massachusetts State House]] facing [[Boston Common]]]]
{{Main|Massachusetts Government}}

===Law===
The Massachusetts Constitution was ratified in 1780 while the [[Revolutionary War]] was in progress, four years after the [[Articles of Confederation]] was drafted, and seven years before the present [[United States Constitution]] was ratified in 1787.

Following a November 2003 decision of the state's Supreme Court, Massachusetts became the first state to issue [[same-sex marriage]] licenses, on May 17, 2004. (See the articles on [[same-sex marriage in the United States]] and [[same-sex marriage in Massachusetts]].) Massachusetts is the first state in the union to mandate [[health insurance]] for all its citizens. (See [[Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute]] for more details.)

On Nov. 4th, 2008, Massachusetts voters passed a bill 65-35 to decriminalize possession of small amounts of [[marijuana]], becoming the twelfth state to do so. Possession of less than an [[ounce]] will be punishable by a $100 fine, but will no longer be considered criminal offense and have no associated imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iSp5AojEbU2anxto3SsjpJQuJY5wD949DUU00|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-10-06|title=Mass. scrambling to adapt to marijuana initiative|author=STEVE LeBLANC}}</ref>

===Government===
The governor is head of the [[executive branch]] and serves as chief administrative officer of the state and as commander-in-chief of the [[Massachusetts National Guard]]. The current governor is [[Deval Patrick]]. All governors of Massachusetts are given the official style His/Her [[Excellency]], a carry-over from the Commonwealth's British past, despite such styles being uncommon in American political traditions. The title is actually used only on the most formal occasions, such as when the governor addresses the two houses of the General Court sitting in joint convention. Responsibilities of the governor include preparation of the annual budget, nomination of all judicial officers, the granting of [[pardon]]s (with the approval of the Governor's Council), appointments of the heads of most major state departments, and the acceptance or [[veto]] of each bill passed by the Legislature. Several executive offices have also been established, each headed by a secretary appointed by the governor, much like the President's cabinet.

The Governor's Council (also called the Executive Council) is composed of the [[Lieutenant Governor]] and eight councilors elected from councilor districts for a two-year term. It has the constitutional power to approve judicial appointments and pardons, to authorize expenditures from the Treasury, to approve the appointment of constitutional officers if a vacancy occurs when the legislature is not in session, and to compile and certify the results of statewide [[election]]s. It also approves the appointments of notaries public and justices of the peace.

The Massachusetts state legislature is formally styled the "General Court." (See [[Massachusetts General Court]]) Elected every two years, the General Court is made up of a Senate of 40 members and a House of Representatives of 160 members. The Massachusetts Senate is said to be the second oldest democratic [[Deliberative assembly|deliberative body]] in the world.<ref>[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1b.htm Massachusetts Facts], Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth</ref> Each branch elects its own leader from its membership. The Senate elects its president; the House its speaker. These officers exercise power through their appointments of majority floor leaders and whips (the minority party elects its leaders in a party caucus), their selection of chairs and all members of joint committees, and in their rulings as presiding officers. Joint committees of the General Court are made up of 6 senators and 15 representatives, with a Senate and House chair for each committee. These committees must hold hearings on all bills filed. Their report usually determines whether or not a bill will pass. Each chamber has its own Rules Committee and Ways and Means Committee and these are among the most important committee assignments.

Judicial appointments are held to the age of seventy. The [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court|Supreme Judicial Court]], consisting of a chief justice and six associate justices, is the highest court in the Commonwealth; it is empowered to give [[advisory opinion]]s to the governor and the legislature on questions of law. All trials are held in departments and divisions of a unified Trial Court, headed by a Chief Justice for Administrative and Management, assisted by an administrator of courts. It hears civil and criminal cases. Cases may be appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court or the [[Massachusetts Appeals Court|Appeals Court]] for review of law, but findings of fact made by the Trial Court are final. The Superior Court, consisting of a chief justice and 66&nbsp;associate justices, is the highest department of the Trial Court. Other departments are the Boston Municipal, District, Housing, Juvenile, Land, and Probate Courts.

Massachusetts's Congressional delegation is entirely [[U.S. Democratic Party|Democratic]]. [[United States Senate|U.S. senators]] are [[Ted Kennedy]] and [[John Kerry]]. The ten members of the state's delegation to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] are [[John Olver]], [[Richard Neal]], [[Jim McGovern (congressman)|Jim McGovern]], [[Barney Frank]], [[Niki Tsongas]], [[John F. Tierney]], [[Ed Markey]], [[Mike Capuano]],
[[Stephen Lynch (politician)|Stephen Lynch]], and [[Bill Delahunt]]. Federal court cases are heard in the [[United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts]]. Appeals are heard by the [[United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit]].

===Politics===
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 79%;"
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 2008|2008]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|36% ''1,104,085
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''62%''' ''1,890,180
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|36.83% ''1,070,109
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''61.92%''' ''1,803,801
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|32.51% ''878,502
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''59.93%''' ''1,616,487
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|28.11% ''718,107
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''61.52%''' ''1,571,763
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|29.04% ''805,049
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''47.51%''' ''1,318,662
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[United States presidential election, 1988|1988]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|45.42% ''1,194,635
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''53.23%''' ''1,401,416
|}
During the first half of the 1900s, Boston was socially conservative and strongly under the influence of Methodist minister J. Frank Chase and his New England Watch and Ward Society, founded in 1878. In 1903, the Old Corner Bookstore was raided and fined for selling [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio]]'s ''[[The Decameron|Decameron]]''. [[Howard Johnson's]] got its start when [[Eugene O'Neill]]'s ''[[Strange Interlude]]'' was banned in Boston, and the production had to be moved to [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]]. In 1927, works by [[Sinclair Lewis]], [[Ernest Hemingway]], [[John Dos Passos]], and [[Sherwood Anderson]] were removed from bookstore shelves. "Banned in Boston" on a book's cover could actually boost sales. Burlesque artists such as [[Sally Rand]] needed to modify their act when performing at Boston's Old Howard Casino. The clean version of a performance used to be known as the "Boston version." By 1929, the Watch and Ward society was perceived to be in decline when it failed in its attempt to ban [[Theodore Dreiser]]'s ''[[An American Tragedy]]'', but as late as 1935 it succeeded in banning [[Lillian Hellman]]'s play ''[[The Children's Hour (play)|The Children's Hour]]''. Censorship was enforced by city officials, notably the "city censor" within the Boston Licensing Division. That position was held by Richard J. Sinnott from 1959 until the office was abolished on March 2, 1982. In modern times, few such puritanical social mores persist. Massachusetts has since gained a reputation as being a politically [[Liberalism|liberal]] state and is often used as an archetype of liberalism, hence the usage of the phrase "[[Massachusetts liberal]]."

<!--The Open document stuff is very interesting, but not really pertinent to this section of the article.
Recently, Massachusetts has adopted electronic document formats for the government that have the specifications available, so the people will not have to lock themselves to a proprietary office suite to view government documents. The [[OpenDocument|OASIS OpenDocument XML format]] and [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] formats have been approved.
-->
Massachusetts is the home of the [[Kennedy family]], and routinely votes for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in federal elections: it is the most populous state to have an all-Democratic Congressional delegation (ten representatives and two senators); this also makes Massachusetts the largest state to have a solid delegation of either party. As of the 2006 election, the Republican party holds less than 13% of the seats in both legislative houses of the [[Massachusetts General Court|General Court]]: in the House, the balance is 141&nbsp;Democratic to 19&nbsp;Republican, and in the Senate, 35–5.<ref>[http://www.ncsl.org/ncsldb/elect98/profile.cfm?yearsel=2006&statesel=MA "State Vote 2006: Election Profile, Massachusetts"] ''State Legislatures Magazine,'' National Conference of State Legislatures''; retrieved November 17, 2007</ref>

Although [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]s held the governor's office continuously from 1991 to 2007, they have mostly been among the most liberal Republican leaders in the nation, especially [[William Weld]] (the first of four recent Republican governors). Two of these governors, [[Paul Cellucci]] and [[Jane Swift]], took office when their predecessors resigned to take other positions. In presidential elections, Massachusetts supported Republicans until [[U.S. presidential election, 1912|1912]], from [[U.S. presidential election, 1916|1916]] through [[U.S. presidential election, 1924|1924]], in the 1950s, and in [[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]] and [[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]. From [[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]] through [[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008]], Massachusetts has supported Democratic presidential candidates, in [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 election]] giving native son [[John Kerry]] 61.9% of the vote and his largest margin of victory in any state. (It should be noted, however, John Kerry's margin of victory in the [[District of Columbia]] was much higher.)

During the [[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]] election, Massachusetts was the only state to give its electoral votes to [[George McGovern]], the Democratic nominee (The District of Columbia also voted for McGovern). Following the resignation of [[President Nixon]] in 1974, two famous bumper stickers were sold in Boston, one saying "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts," and the other read "Nixon 49, America 1"

{{see also|Massachusetts Constitution|Governor of Massachusetts}}

==Cities and towns==
[[Image:DowntownBoston.jpg|thumb|right|'''[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]]]'''
{{main|Massachusetts Government#Local government}}

There are [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|50 cities and 301 towns]] in Massachusetts, grouped into [[List of Massachusetts counties|14 counties]].<ref> [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cisctlist/ctlistcoun.htm Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: ''A Listing of Counties and the Cities and Towns Within''] </ref> 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.<ref>See [[Administrative divisions of Massachusetts#The city/town distinction]].</ref> Boston is the state [[capital]] and largest city. It is the center of the nation's 11th largest [[metropolitan area]]. Cities over 100,000 in population (2004 estimates) include [[Boston, Massachusetts| Boston]], [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]. Massachusetts shares the governmental structure known as [[New England town|the New England town]] with the five other [[New England]] states, as well as New York and [[New Jersey]].

==Education==
[[Image:HarvardWidenerLibrary.jpg|thumb|222px|right|The [[Widener Library]] at [[Harvard University]]. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and has the largest academic library in the world.<ref name="megalib">{{cite journal |url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/02.26/SpeakingVolumes.html |title=Speaking Volumes: Professor Sidney Verba Champions the University Library |journal=Harvard Gazette |date=1998-02-26 |accessdate=2007-02-19 |publisher=The President and Fellows of Harvard College}}</ref>]]
Massachusetts has historically had a strong commitment to education. It was the first state to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school (albeit paid by the parents of the pupils) with the passage of the [[Massachusetts Education Laws|Massachusetts Education Law]] of 1647; this mandate was later made a part of the state constitution in 1789. The town of [[Franklin, Massachusetts|Franklin]], has been noted to be the birthplace of public education in North America, due to the fact that education pioneer Horace Mann was born in the town, and The Franklin Public Library is the first public library in America.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Massachusetts is home to the country's oldest high school, [[Boston Latin School]] (founded 1635), America's first publicly funded high school, [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]], (founded 1643), oldest college, now called [[Harvard University]] (founded 1636), oldest incorporated preparatory school, [[Phillips Academy]] (founded 1778), first racially integrated high school [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], and oldest municipally supported free library, [[Boston Public Library]] (founded 1848). In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws.<ref> [http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/CompulsoryEd.htm Compulsory Education] ''National Conference of State Legislatures.'' Retrieved December 28, 2006.</ref> The per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools (kindergarten through grade 12) was fifth in the nation in 2004, at $11,681.<ref>[http://www.nea.org/edstats/RankFull06b.htm#T5 Table 5. Current Expenditures ($) per Student in Public K-12 Schools, 2004-05] Source footnote: "Rankings & Estimates 2005-2006, Rankings, Table H-11." ( NEA Research, Estimates Database (2006). K–12 = "Elementary and Secondary".) ''National Education Association'' Retrieved January 12, 2007. </ref> Massachusetts has scored highest of all the states in math on the National Assessments of Educational Progress.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}

Massachusetts is home to many well-known [[University-preparatory school|preparatory school]]s, colleges, and universities. There are more than 40 colleges located in the greater Boston area alone. Ten colleges and universities are located in the greater Worcester area. The [[University of Massachusetts]] (nicknamed ''UMass'') is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth. The population of metropolitan Boston and Worcester, and of the [[Five Colleges (Massachusetts)|Five Colleges]] area in Western Massachusetts, in particular, surges during the school year.
{{See| List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts|List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston}}
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==Media==
{{see also|List of television stations in Massachusetts|List of newspapers in Massachusetts|List of radio stations in Massachusetts}}

There are two major television media markets located in Massachusetts. The Boston/Worcester market is the 7th largest in the United States. All major networks are represented. The other market surrounds the Springfield area. Some communities in Berkshire county are serviced by the [[Albany, New York|Albany]], New York market, and some southeastern Massachusetts communities are serviced by the [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], [[Rhode Island]] market. The ''[[Boston Globe]]'', ''[[Boston Herald]]'', ''[[Worcester Telegram & Gazette]]'' and the ''[[Springfield Republican]]'' are the Commonwealth's largest daily newspapers. In addition, there are many community dailies and weeklies found throughout the state. There are a number of major radio stations (AM 50,000 watts, FM over 20,000 watts) which service 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 newspaper.

==Sports and recreation==
===Organized sports===
[[Image:Boston-marathon-45.3.jpg|thumb|upright|right|The 100<sup>th</sup> running of the [[Boston Marathon]], 1996]]
{{main|Sports in Massachusetts}}
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 5 [[Stanley Cup]]s ([[Boston Bruins]]), 17 [[NBA Finals|NBA Championships]] ([[Boston Celtics]]), 3 [[Super Bowl]]s ([[New England Patriots]]), and 8 [[World Series]] (7 [[Boston Red Sox]], 1 [[Atlanta Braves|Boston Braves]]). The state is also the home to the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] ([[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]]) and the [[Volleyball Hall of Fame]] ([[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]]), because those sports were invented within the Commonwealth, as well as the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]]. It is also home to prestigious sports events such as the [[Boston Marathon]], the Eastern Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, and the [[Head of the Charles Regatta]]. The [[Falmouth Road Race]] in running and the [[Fitchburg Longsjo Classic]] in bicycle racing are also very popular events with long histories.

The [[Professional Golfers' Association of America|PGA]] [[Deutsche Bank Championship]] and the [[Champions Tour]] [[Bank of America Championship]] are regular professional [[golf]] tour stops in the state. Massachusetts has played host to 9 [[U.S. Open (golf)|US Opens]], 4 [[United States Women's Open Championship (golf)|US Womens Opens]], 2 [[Ryder Cup]]s, 1 [[PGA Championship]], and 1 [[United States Senior Open|Senior Open]]. The [[New England Revolution]] is the [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) team in Massachusetts. The Boston Cannons are the [[Major League Lacrosse]] (MLL) team in Massachusetts.

Many colleges and universities in Massachusetts are active in college athletics. There are a number of [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I members in the state for multiple sports: [[Harvard University]], [[Boston College]], [[Boston University]], [[Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)|Northeastern University]], [[College of the Holy Cross]] in Worcester, and the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]].

===Outdoor recreation===
[[Boating]] activities such as [[sailing]] and [[yachting]] are popular all along the Massachusetts coast and its offshore islands. [[Hiking]] and [[cross-country skiing]] are also popular activities in many of the state's undeveloped lands. The [[Appalachian Trail]], the [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]], the [[Midstate Trail (Massachusetts)|Midstate Trail]], and the Bay Circuit Trail are all long distance hiking trails that run the length of the state. The [[Tully Trail]], a {{convert|22|mi|km|0|sing=on}} loop in the North Quabbin Region (through the towns of Athol, Orange, Warwick and Royalston) incorporates waterfalls and vistas. A handful of [[alpine skiing|downhill skiing]] operators still maintain slopes in Massachusetts, although many skiers drive to major resorts in [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]] and [[Maine]] for the weekend. [[Sport fishing]] still remains a strong outdoor activity. Spincasting during the warmer months and [[ice fishing]] during winter on inland lakes and ponds, [[Fly fishing]] inland rivers for [[trout]], surf casting for [[striped bass]] and [[bluefish]] and deep sea fishing for [[Atlantic Cod|cod]] and [[haddock]] all remain popular. [[Hunting]], primarily for [[whitetail deer]] and [[waterfowl]] continues to attract a number of residents.

==See also==
* [[List of Massachusetts-related topics]]
{{portal|Massachusetts|Seal of the State of Massachusetts.svg|left=yes}}
{{clear}}
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==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
===Overviews and surveys===
<div class="references-small">
* Brown, Richard D. and Jack Tager. ''Massachusetts: A Concise History'' (2002)
* Hall, Donald. ed. ''The Encyclopedia of New England'' (2005)
* [[Works Progress Administration]]. ''Guide to Massachusetts'' (1939)
</div>

===Secondary sources===
<div class="references-small">
* 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
* 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. ''[http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-new-england-town-meeting-democracy-in-action-by-joseph-f-zimmerman.jsp The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action]'' (1999)
</div>

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Massachusetts}}
* [http://www.mass.gov/ The Commonwealth of Massachusetts]
* [http://www.masshist.org/ Massachusetts Historical Society]
* [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=MA Energy Profile for Massachusetts- Economic, environmental, and energy data]
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=MA USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Massachusetts]
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/massachusetts.html Maps of Massachusetts]
* [http://newenglandtowns.org/massachusetts/ 1837 descriptions of Massachusetts cities, towns, mountains, lakes, and rivers, from ''Hayward's New England Gazetteer.'']
* [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1a.htm Massachusetts State Symbols]
* [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf4.htm Miscellaneous Massachusetts Facts]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/MA.htm Massachusetts State Facts from USDA]
* [http://massachusetts351.blogspot.com/ Massachusetts 351 Project]
* [http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/massachusetts.html Massachusetts Constitution and Laws]
* [http://www.massvacation.com Massachusetts Tourism Board]
* [http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/ Maritime History of Massachusetts, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
* [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases.asp?atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=ESSEX+COUNTY&atlName=&PAGEPREFIX=&submittype= Atlases of Massachusetts]. 1871-Walling&Gray, 1891-Walker, 1892-Mass., 1904-Walker. Large Images at Salemdeeds.
* Free images of 300+ [http://www.davidrumsey.com/directory/where/Massachusetts/ Maps of Massachusetts] at www.DavidRumsey.com
{{-}}
{{Massachusetts|expand}}
{{New England}}
{{US Northeast}}
{{USPoliticalDivisions}}

{{succession
| preceded = [[Connecticut]]
| office = [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood|List of U.S. states by constitutional ratification date]]
| years = Ratified [[Constitution of the United States of America|Constitution]] on February 6, 1788 (6th)
| succeeded = [[Maryland]]
}}

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[[Category:Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:1629 establishments]]
[[Category:New England]]
[[Category:Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:Former British colonies]]
[[Category:Algonquian toponyms]]

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sorry u cant view this page sorry

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