Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts has played an important role in the history of the United States as it originally consisted of two (2) English colonies, Providence of Massachusetts Bay and Colony of Plymouth. Providence of Massachusetts Bay later became Massachusetts and Maine. The Colony Of Plymouth was established in 1620 by the English as their second permanent settlement but later made part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony with the issuance of the Massachusetts Bay charter of 1691. Massachusetts was admitted to the United States on February 6, 1788 becoming the 6th state. It ranks as 44th in land area having 10,555 square miles with a geographical center in the town of Rutland in Worcester Country. The state ranks 15th in population having approximately 6,593,587 people in 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts

The death of long time Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy left an opening in the U. S. Senate. By law, Massachusetts had to fill the vacancy by holding a special election within 145 to 160 days after the vacancy presented itself. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/28/dates-proposed-for-massachusetts-special-election/ The election was held on January 19, 2010 with Republican Scott Brown defeating Democrate Martha Coakley by a 52% to 47% vote. This office had not been held by a republican since 1972 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Brown

In 1629, a large area of what is now Massachusetts was established by a group of Puritan settlers as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was successful, and eventually established its own system of government. It also showed an early independent streak, rebelling against British policy on tariffs and taxation. King Charles II revoked the colony's charter in 1684.

While many people think of Massachusetts solely in terms of the Boston metro area, the western half of the state also has a strong culture, with farms, many well-reputed academic institutions including Smith College and Amherst College, and the Berkshires, a cultural center with orchestras, theater festivals, and beautiful scenery.

A rock-throwing incident in 1770 led to fierce retaliation from the British army and became known as the Boston Massacre, one of the key events leading up to the American Revolution. In 1773, residents threw tea into Boston Harbor in what would later be known as the Boston Tea Party. This led to harsh repercussions from the British government, who closed the port to crush incipient rebellion. Their decision backfired, and much of the American colonies rose in revolt.

Massachusetts, with its poorly productive land and short growing season, was quick to see industrialization as the next step to success. Its textile mills, shoe factories and other production facilities became the envy of many other regions during the 1800s, and manufactured many of the supplies for the Civil War.

• • Mahalo's Guide to a Boston Vacation
  • Mahalo's Guide to a Berkshires Vacation
  • Mahalo's Guide to a Nantucket Vacation
• Official Tourism Site: MassVacation.com
• Frommer's: Massachusetts
• Fodor's: Cape Cod Travel Guide