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Massachusetts
More About Massachusetts State
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gland town meeting, a basic democratic institution, still governs most of its towns. The state had a child labor law in 1836, a law legalizing trade unions in 1842, and the first minimum wage law for women and children.
Massachusetts proved to be fertile ground for intellectual ideas and activities. In the early 19th century, Emerson, Thoreau, and their followers expounded the Transcendentalist theory of the innate nobilty of man and the doctrine of individual expression, which exerted a major influence on American thought, then and now. Social improvement was sought through colonies of idealists, many of which hoped to prove that sharing labor and the fruits of labor were the means to a just society. Dorothea Dix crusaded on behalf of the mentally disturbed, and Horace Mann promoted universal education. In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison, an ardent abolitionist, founded his weekly, The Liberator. Massachusetts was the heartland of the Abolitionist movement, and her soldiers fought in the Civil War because they were convinced it was a war against slavery.
Massachusetts was also an important center during the Industrial Revolution. After the Civil War, the earlier success of the textile mills, like those in Lowell, generated scores of drab, hastily built, industrial towns. Now these mills are being replaced by modern plants with landscaped grounds. Modern industry is as much a part of Massachusetts as the quiet sandy beaches of Cape Cod with their bayberry and beach plum bushes.
Massachusetts has also been home to several generations of the politically prominent Kennedy family. John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States, was born in the Boston suburb of Brookline, as was his younger brother, Senator Robert Kennedy.
The Bay State offers mountains, ocean swimming, camping, summer resorts, freshwater and saltwater fishing, and a variety of metropolitan cultural advantages. No other state in the Union can claim so much history in so small an area, for in Massachusetts each town or city has a part in the American story.
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Massachusetts
Statistics & Vital Data |  |
| Population: | 6016425 |
| Area: | 7,826 square miles |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Elevation: | 0-3,491 feet |
| High
point: | Mount Greylock (Berkshire County) |
| Joined
Union: | Sixth of original 13 states (February 6, 1788) |
| State
Capital: | Boston |
| State
Motto: | "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty" |
| State
Flower: | Mayflower |
| State
Bird: | Chickadee |
| State
Tree: | American Elm |
| State
Fair: | |
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Massachusetts Events >> | | View
Massachusetts Attractions >> |
Massachusetts Parks, Recreation Areas, & Historical Landmarks:
State Parks - Water-related activities, hiking, riding, various other sports, picnicking and visitor centers, as well as camping, are available in many state parks. Day-use areas (approximately Memorial Day-Labor Day, some areas all year): $5/car. Camping (approximately mid-Apr-Oct, schedule may vary, phone ahead; two-week maximum, last Sat in May-Sat before Labor Day at many parks): campsites $10-$15/day; electricity $5/day. Pets on leash only; no pets in bathing areas. Information available from the Department of Environmental Management, Division of Forests & Parks, phone 617/727-3180.
View
list of all parks in Massachusetts >> | |
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Massachusetts
Weather and Climate:
Massachusetts enjoys a moderate climate with four distinct seasons. Cape Cod and the Islands offer milder temperatures than other parts of the state and rarely have snow, while windchill in Boston (the windiest city in the United States) can make temperatures feel well below zero, and snow is not uncommon. | |
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Fishing/Hunting
Opportunities in Massachusetts:
Deep-sea and surf fishing are good; boats are available in most coastal towns. For information on saltwater fishing, contact the Division of Marine Fisheries, phone 617/727-3193. Inland fishing is excellent in more than 500 streams and 3,000 ponds. Nonresident fishing license $40.50; three-consecutive-day nonresident license $25.50. Nonresident hunting license: small game $75.50; big game $110.50. Inquire for trapping licenses. Fees subject to change. Licenses issued by town clerks, selected sporting good stores, or from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, phone 617/727-3151 or toll-free 800/ASK-FISH. Information on freshwater fishing, regulations, and a guide to stocked trout waters and best bass ponds are also available from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. | |
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| | Additional Massachusetts Visitor Information:
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, phone 617/727-3201, has travel information. For a free Massachusetts Getaway Guide, phone toll-free 800/447-MASS.
Many properties of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) are located in Massachusetts and neighboring states. For complete information on these properties, contact SPNEA Headquarters, 141 Cambridge St, Boston 02114; phone 617/227-3956. For information regarding the 71 properties owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations, contact 527 Essex St, Beverly, MA 01905, phone 508/921-1944.
Massachusetts has many statewide fairs, though none is considered the official state fair; contact the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, Division of Fairs, phone 617/727-3037.
Several visitor centers are located in Massachusetts; they are located on the MA Turnpike (daily, 9 am-6 pm) at Charlton (eastbound and westbound), Lee (eastbound), and Natick (eastbound); also I-95 at Mansfield, between exits 5 and 6 (northbound); and on MA 3 at Plymouth (southbound). |
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