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{bmc 3nick_mp.shg} Nickname
{bmc 3pop_map.shg} Population
{bmc 3bird_mp.shg} State Bird
{bmc 3flow_mp.shg} State Flower
{bmc 3tree_mp.shg} State Tree

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Population
Pop. (1986 est.) 5,832,000, a 1.7% increase over 1980 pop.

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State Capital
Boston.

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Highest Point
Mt. Greylock, 3,491 ft (1,065 m).

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Lowest Point
Sea level.

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Nickname
{ewl MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_NICKP.BMP}Bay State

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State Bird
{ewl MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_BIRDP.BMP}Black-Capped Chickadee

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State Flower
{ewl MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_FLOWP.BMP}Mayflower

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State Tree
{ewl MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_TREEP.BMP}American Elm

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The Pilgrims landed in 1620. Despite early difficulties, the Plymouth Colony took firm hold and was followed by the Massachusetts Bay Company colony. The early Puritan settlers (see Puritanism) were primarily agricultural, although a merchant class soon formed. By the mid-18th century the colony had become the center of a lively and prosperous seagoing traffic in molasses, rum, and black slaves­-the so-called triangular trade. The colonists sorely felt British restrictions imposed by the Stamp Act (1765) and Townshend Acts (1767). Following the Boston Massacre (1770) and the Boston Tea Party (1773), the American Revolution started with fighting at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. After independence, the industrial revolution took hold in Massachusetts, with the development of a thriving textile industry. During the 19th century the state was the center of many of the country's religious, philosophical, and social movements, including Transcendentalism, Unitarianism, and abolitionism. Following the Civil War, there began a huge influx of immigrants, of whom the Irish were a dominant group. The early 20th century was marked by intense labor strife, including the unsuccessful Boston police strike (1919). The decline of the state's textile and shoe industries since World War II has been offset by the continued growth of computer- and defense-related industries into the 1980s.

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Massachusetts, most populous of the New England states of the NE U.S.; bordered by New York (W), Vermont and New Hampshire (N), the Atlantic Ocean (E), and Rhode Island and Connecticut (S).

Area, 8,257 sq mi (21,386 sq km). 

The state's heavily indented coastline has many natural harbors. Offshore are the resort islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The low coastal plain gives way inland to gently rolling uplands bisected by the fertile Connecticut River valley. In the west are the Berkshire Hills. The temperate climate is variable. Massachusetts is the country's third most densely populated state. Boston, the largest city, is one of the country's leading commercial and educational centers; Worcester and Springfield are also important cities. In 1984 the state was 94% white, 6% black and others.

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{ewr MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_ECONP.BMP}Massachusetts is an overwhelmingly industrial state. Chief among its manufactures are electrical and electronic equipment, leather goods, and clothing and textiles. Shipping, printing, and publishing are also important. Leading agricultural products include dairy products, greenhouse vegetables, cranberries, and eggs. Fishing fleets bring in a varied catch. The Atlantic coast, including Cape Cod National Seashore, and the Berkshires attract many visitors.

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{ewr MVDIB12, MVDIB12, !MA_GOVTP.BMP}According to the constitution of 1780, the governor is elected to a four-year term. The legislature is composed of a 40-member senate and 160-member house, both with two-year terms. The state sends 11 representatives and 2 senators to the U.S. Congress and has 13 electoral votes.