Massachusetts is located in the northeastern part of the United States. It borders Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Massachusetts is the 44th largest (and 7th smallest) state in the United States. State with a land area of only 10,555 square miles. With approximately 6,692,824 residents, it is the 14th most populous state and the third most densely populated state. Prior to European settlement, the region was inhabited by Algonquin-speaking tribes. In 1620, the Pilgrims, who sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower, established a colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Massachusetts became the sixth state when it was admitted to the Union in 1788.
Interesting facts about Massachusetts:
The name Massachusetts comes from the Massachusett Native Americans, and it means “at or near the great hill” or “a big hill place.”
Massachusetts’ state motto is ‘Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem,’ which translates as ‘By the sword, we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.’
The state song of Massachusetts is ‘All Hail to Massachusetts.’
Boston is the state capital of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts is divided into 14 counties and has over 450,000 acres of state parks and forests.
Massachusetts’ state flag was only officially adopted in 1971; previously, the flag had designs on both the front and back.
The black-capped chickadee is the state bird, and the wild turkey is the state game bird.
The right whale is the state marine mammal of Massachusetts, and cod is the state fish.
The mayflower, also known as trailing arbutus or ground laurel, is the state flower of Massachusetts.
The American elm is the state tree of Massachusetts.
The Boston cream pie is the state dessert of Massachusetts.
The state fossil is a Theropod (a dinosaur) footprint, and Anchisaurus and Podokesaurus fossils have also been discovered in Massachusetts.
The Merrimack River, Connecticut River, and Charles River are among Massachusetts’ major rivers.
Quabbin Reservoir is Massachusetts’ largest lake. The state also has a border with the Atlantic Ocean.
Cranberries, dairy products, poultry, fruit and vegetables are all important agricultural products in Massachusetts.
Tourism, electronics, education, fishing, textiles, and publishing are major industries in Massachusetts.
In 1621, the first Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Salem witch trials took place in 1692 in the town of Salem, Massachusetts.
Several US Presidents were born in Massachusetts, including John Adams, the second president (from 1797 to 1801), John Quincy Adams, the sixth president (from 1825 to 1829), John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president (from 1961 to 1963), and George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president (from 1989 to 1993).
There is a female heroine in Massachusetts. Deborah Samson was her name. She disguised herself as a man and fought in the American Revolutionary War as Robert Shurtleff. Despite being wounded in battle, she survived and went on to become the first woman to receive a military pension.
The Mather School, America’s first public elementary school, was established in Dorchester in 1639.
Harvard University, established in 1636, is the country’s oldest higher education institution.
The first subway is thought to have been built in Boston, Massachusetts, rather than New York.
Boston Common was the first public park in the United States.
Thank you for your thoughtful and thought-provoking post on facts. As you rightly point out, facts are not always easy to come by, and it takes effort and diligence to seek them out. But in doing so, we can become better informed and more effective in our lives and work.