Massachusetts: The Bay State

Massachusetts: The Bay State — page 1
INTRODUCTION Though Massachusetts is a small state it has a rich history and is diverse in both its landscape and its people Massachusetts is where 102 Pilgrims landed in 1620 and developed the first permanent colony in what became the United States Later many Bay Staters as residents of the state are called including Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams were leaders of revolutionary activity leading up to America’s war for independence In 1773 Massachusetts was the site of the Boston Tea Party in which colonists protested British taxes on tea by throwing hundreds of chests of tea into Boston Harbor In 1775 the first battles of the American Revolution were fought at Lexington and Concord and in 1776 Massachusetts native John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence Workers at the Boston Harbor Tea Party Ship and Museum re-create the historic tax protest of 1773 4 MASSACHUSETTS The Massachusetts State House is located on Beacon Hill and overlooks Boston Common QUICK FACTS Massachusetts state motto is Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem a Latin phrase meaning By the sword we seek peace but peace only under liberty Massachusetts adopted the Boston cream pie as the state dessert in 1996 The dessert was first baked in the 1800s Boston Common is the oldest public park in the United States The 45-acre area was opened as a public space in 1634 Crane and Company headquartered in Dalton has produced most of the paper for U S currency since 1879