81 Massachusetts Facts To Learn About This Iconic State

The US state of Massachusetts is officially recognized as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is also known as the Bay State, the Old Colony State, the Pilgrim State among many of its other nicknames. As a fact, it is the most populous of all six states in the New England region including the likes of Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts itself.

The capital of this American state is Boston, which unsurprisingly is also the most populous city in the New England region sharing its borders with five other US states including New York. The state is famous for its picturesque villages apart from the services sector. Fishing, agriculture, and trade were the initial economic activities of Massachusetts but owing to the industrial revolution, Massachusetts was turned into a manufacturing sector. As of today, Massachusetts is widely recognized for its advances in the fields of finance, engineering, biotechnology, and higher education in general. This change took place in the 20th century when Massachusetts transformed from being manufacturing-oriented to service-oriented.

Fun Facts About Massachusetts

We know that the Massachusetts state is also known as the Bay state, but do you know why? It is largely due to the reason that Massachusetts has more than 1,500 mi (2,414 km) of coastline. This has also resulted in Massachusetts being one of the largest producers of seafood in the United States of America.

• Did you know, Massachusetts was the first state in the history of the US to legalize same-sex marriage in the country?
• Massachusetts state is the birthplace of various eminent personalities including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Seuss, and many more.
• The Franklin Public Library in Massachusetts was the first of its kind in the country to initiate the concept of a lending library.
• The first Thanksgiving which took place in 1621 was observed in Plymouth in the state of Massachusetts.
• Harvard University in Cambridge was the first-ever American University, and it was opened in Massachusetts in the year 1636.
• Alexander Graham Bell, famous for inventing the telephone, is also associated with the state of Massachusetts as the first telephone demonstration by him was in 1876 in Massachusetts.
• Did you know that it is believed that the state of Massachusetts has gotten its name from the Massachusett tribe which can be literally translated into 'near the great hill' signifying the Blue Hill towards the southwestern part of Boston?
• The old stock trading company, Massachusetts Bay Company was given a royal charter to colonize the state of Massachusetts.
• Bobcats, black bears, white-tailed deer are some of the mammals which are commonly spotted in this state in the New England region.
• Blue jays, wild turkeys, the iconic bald eagle are some of the bird species which are frequently seen in Massachusetts.
• When it comes to reptiles, eastern ribbon snakes, snapping turtles are among the most famous ones in the state.
• Did you know Massachusetts produces around one-fourth of the total cranberries which are grown in the United States of America?
• In fact, cranberry is its state berry and cranberry juice is also the state beverage of Massachusetts.
• The highest point of this New England state is Mount Greylock at a staggering height of 3,491 ft (1,064 m).
• The MLB team, Boston Red Sox is one of the most well-known sports teams in Massachusetts.

Historical Facts About Massachusetts

Originally inhabited by various native groups such as the Massachusett, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, the state of Massachusetts has a long history. Massachusetts has witnessed various iconic moments of history since it was founded on February 6, 1788.

• In 1775, which marks the first battle of the American Revolution, Concord and Lexington took place in the state of Massachusetts becoming an integral part of American history.
• Massachusetts also witnessed the establishment of the first American lighthouse in the year 1716 at Boston Harbor.
• Did you know, the first American post office was opened in Boston in 1639?
• Despite the Civil War, Massachusetts was and is widely known for the thinkers and educators that live in the state.
• The year 1880 marks the period when there was a rapid increase in the number of theaters, museums, colleges in Boston, in particular, and Massachusetts, in general.
• The Boston Massacre in 1770 is one of the infamous incidents in the history of Massachusetts when the British soldiers killed around five colonists.
• In 1773, many of the other colonists then dressed themselves up as Native Americans and threw tea into Boston Harbor as a way of protesting against the high taxes, and the event was later known as the Boston Tea Party.
• Harvard University, the oldest college in the United States was founded way back in 1636.
• Throughout history, there were several other educational institutions established in Massachusetts such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Boston University.

Facts About Massachusetts Food

The state of Massachusetts has a total population of over 6.9 million and a land area of 4,992,934 ac (2020569 ha) out of which 10.4% is dedicated towards farmlands. Let us look at some interesting food and agriculture-related facts of Massachusetts.

• Apples, cranberries, and sweet corns are largely grown in Massachusetts with cranberry grown in Massachusetts accounting for 25% of the total country's produce.
• There are several signature dishes of Massachusetts including Lobster Rolls, Clam Chowder, Oysters, Boston Cream Pie.
• Did you know that the official state cookie of Massachusetts is Chocolate Chip Cookie?
• This Chocolate Chip Cookie was designated as the state cookie in 1997 but was invented way back in 1930 by the Toll House Restaurant.
• The official state dessert, on the other hand, is Boston Cream Pie which became official on December 12, 1996.
• As another interesting fact, the state of Massachusetts also has an official donut which is the Boston Cream Donut.
• Did you know that the codfish is the official fish of the state of Massachusetts and has been so for decades now?
• The state of Massachusetts also has an official state muffin, and it is the corn muffin.

Facts About Massachusetts Climate

The weather and climatic conditions in Massachusetts vary greatly with changes in the season, as well as with the part of the state you live in. In fact, the average temperatures in Massachusetts are as high as 82 F (28 C) during the summers and during the winters on average they go as low as 16 F (-9 C).

• The summers in Massachusetts experience an average high of 80 F (27 C) but during the night the temperatures come down to around 60 F (16 C).
• The winters, on the other hand, are snowy and the temperatures often fall below 32 F (0 C).
• It has been recorded that during the winters the temperature has often fallen to 0 F (-18 C), whereas in summers there have been extremes with temperatures being around 90 F (32 C).
• Several reports suggest that the coastal areas of Massachusetts aren't as cold as the ones inland during the winter.
• Did you know, the state of Massachusetts receives around 43 in (109 cm) of rainfall in a year, along with receiving rainfall a bit more during the winter months?