Massachusetts History Guide

In the late 16th century, when Europeans first explored Massachusetts, about 30,000 Indians from the Algonquian tribes lived in the area. By 1620, many had already died of diseases brought by the Europeans. Only 7,000 Native Americans remained in Massachusetts at that time. Among the explorers we can mention englishman John Cabot who sighted the coast of Massachusetts in 1498. In 1605, Samuel de Champlain charted maps of the New England coastline. John Smith sailed up the coast of Massachusetts in 1614. However, the defining moment is December 1620, when a religious group from England known as the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, landing near Provincetown. They soon relocated across Cape Cod Bay, naming their settlement Plymouth, and the story of a new nation was born.

The first winter was very harsh for the Pilgrims and about half the settlers died. The following year, the Indians taught them how to plant corn and beans. When winter came they had enough food and better shelter. The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and gave thanks to God for delivering them from hardship.

Another group known as the Puritans led by John Winthrop, founded Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston in 1630. This group established political freedom in 1641 with a document called The Body of Liberties. They allowed only their religious beliefs into the colony.

Within this mix of competing beliefs and cultures, racial and social prejudices soon surfaced and for almost 50 years bitter tensions between rival religious groups continued. Controversial witch trials were held and some people were prosecuted and hanged. And worse, wars with the indigenous Indians raged until most were annihilated.

In 1662, King Philip became chief of the Wampanoag Indian tribe when his father died. He feared the white settlers would overtake Indian land. To protect his people, in 1675 King Philip's War began. Hundreds of people died as settlements and villages were burned. Colonists killed King Philip in 1676 and ended the war.

In 1690 there was an unsuccessful expedition against French Quebec under William Phips. Massachusetts became a single colony in 1692, the largest in New England, and one where many American institutions and traditions were formed. The colony fought alongside British regulars in a series of French and Indian Wars that were characterized by brutal border raids and successful attacks on British forces in New France (present-day Canada).

At this time the economy was growing and during this boom the British, seeing a financial opportunity, imposed unpopular taxes on its growing colony. A costly and fatal error in judgement. The winds of change echoed across the American colonies in the early 1770s, and Massachusetts became a leader in resisting British oppression. John Adams, Samuel Adams and John Hancock were the leaders of the revolutionary activity, and their loud cry's for independence from England were both assertive and bold.

The American Revolution, or American War of Independence (in essence) began in Massachusetts. The Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and the battles of Bunker Hill, Concord and Lexington are etched into the history books of that great struggle. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was proudly signed in Philadelphia. The first to sign that document was Massachusetts resident and President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock.

Massachusetts ratified the Constitution and became the 6th state of the Union on Feb. 6, 1788. They insisted on an amendment of individual rights. The Bill of Rights went into effect in 1791. Many people in Massachusetts led the antislavery movement in the 1830s. The New England Anti-Slavery Society in Boston helped slaves to escape to Canada. Strong support was given to the Union during the Civil War (1861-1865); over 145,000 people served from Massachusetts.

After World War I, many companies moved south from the state. The Great Depression caused many to lose jobs. By 1931, less than half of all workers in Massachusetts had full-time jobs. World War II brought change to the economy in 1939. Huge quantities of war materials were produced in the state's factories. Industries changed to research and electrical equipment production. In 1960, a nuclear power plant started operating in Rowe.

The state's cranberry crop is the nation's second-largest (after Wisconsin). Also important are dairy and poultry products, nursery and greenhouse produce, vegetables, and fruit.

Tourism has become an important factor in the economy of the state because of its numerous recreational areas and historical landmarks. Cape Cod has beaches, summer theaters, and an artists' colony at Provincetown. The Berkshires, in the western part of the state, is the site of Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony; art museums, including Mass MoCA and the Clark Institute; and Jacob's Pillow, a world renowned dance center.

Massachusetts Famous People

• John Adams (1735 - 1826) The 2^nd President of the United States; born in Quincy.
• John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848) The 6^th President of the United States and son of John Adams; born in Quincy.
• Samuel Adams (1722 - 1803) Revolutionist that organized the Boston Tea Party, referred to as the "Father of the American Revolution?; born in Boston.
• Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888) Author of the classic novel Little Women; grew up in Boston.
• Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990) First American conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and famous for composing the music to West Side Story; born in Lawrence.
• George Bush (1924 - ) The 41^st President of the United States; born in Milton.
• Bette Davis (1908 - 1989) Actress that earned ten Academy Award nominations and won twice, famous for The Little Foxes and All About Eve; born in Lowell
• Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) Famous poet of American literature; born in Amherst.
• Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) Inventor, statesman, and publisher that helped write the Declaration of Independence; born in Boston.
• John Hancock (1737 - 1793) Merchant, statesman, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and first governor of the state of Massachusetts.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864) Author of The Scarlet Letter; born in Salem.
• Theodore Seuss Geisel (1904 - 1991) Author who created the Dr. Seuss books; born in Springfield.
• John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963) The 35^th President of the United States; born in Brookline.
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882) Considered the most influential poet of his day with famous works such as ?The Courtship of Miles Standish? and "Evangeline."
• Horace Mann (1796 - 1859) The father of public education; helped to establish the nation?s first board of education and was a leading figure in promoting nonreligious public education; born in Franklin.
• Paul Revere (1734 - 1818), silversmith and patriot; born in Boston.
• Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Essayist, naturalist, and philosopher; born in Concord.