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Massachusetts prides itself on its rich historical heritage. Its name originates from the Algonquian Indian word for "a big hill place." The Commonwealth’s original settlers consisted of the Nauset, Massachuset, and Wampanoag Native American tribes. Here the Pilgrims arrived via the Mayflower in Plimoth (Plymouth) in 1620. The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated here. The infamous Salem witch trials also occurred in the late 17th century in Massachusetts. Despite this dark period, Massachusetts pushed forward in its progressive attitudes that remain to this day.
The first public school in America began here, with such attendees as John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. The first American college (Harvard) was established in 1636. The first shots of the Revolutionary War rang out from Massachusetts, in Lexington and Concord, and Bunker Hill. The first American railroad was built here, and the first telephone was demonstrated. Solidifying Massachusetts’ rich sports heritage, the first basketball and volleyball games were played here. The Bay State is the birthplace of four American presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George Herbert Walker Bush. The Commonwealth became the sixth state of the Union in 1788.
Throughout its history, many famous personages hailed from Massachusetts. Some native sons and daughters of the Bay State include Henry David Thoreau, Norman Rockwell, Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Susan B. Anthony, Leonard Nimoy, James Taylor, and Aerosmith.
Massachusetts continues its promise for future greatness through its many universities. State-supported University of Massachusetts extends its branches into Boston, Amherst, Lowell, Worcester, and Dartmouth. The aforementioned Harvard joins over one hundred other universities and colleges in the Bay State.
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