Massachsetts information
If you took a bounty of historic attractions, miles of sandy beaches, liberal portions of succulent seafood, plenty of performing arts centers, a smattering of ski resorts and scenic highways, and a heaping portion of world-class museums, you'd have the recipe for a stellar vacation destination. You'd also have the state of Massachusetts, the birthplace of the American Revolution and an enduring leader in shaping the intellectual, political, and artistic direction of the United States. No state is home to more symbolic sites, and none is more steeped in the American patriotic tradition.
In 1620, the Pilgrims, seeking freedom from religious persecution in England, landed in Massachusetts at Provincetown on Cape Cod. They chose Plymouth a bit further north as the site of their permanent settlement. America's annual Thanksgiving holiday hearkens back to the Pilgrims' feast in 1621 in celebration of their first successful harvest. Ten years later, Boston, now the state's capital city, was founded by John Winthrop and his group of Puritans who followed the Pilgrims to this new land.
Massachusetts took the lead a century later in forging a separate US identity for the American colonies. From the fiery speeches of the Sons of Liberty at Boston's Faneuil Hall to the Boston Massacre to the Boston Tea Party to the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the Battle of Lexington and Concord that marked the start of war between the colonies and the motherland, Massachusetts ignited the rebellion and bore more than its share of the burden in the fight for independence. The Constitution of Massachusetts remains the oldest written constitution still in effect.
In the 1800s, Massachusetts was a leader in the antislavery movement, in eliminating child labor, and in imposing minimum wage laws. It was also the intellectual capital of the country, and home to philosophers and authors like Emerson and Thoreau, social thinkers like Dorothea Dix who crusaded on behalf of the mentally ill, and pioneers like Horace Mann who lobbied for universal education. The state was also a key early industrial center. In the 20th century, Massachusetts has given the U.S. several generations of Kennedys who have risen to political prominence, beat generation spokesman Jack Kerouac, and popular illustrator Norman Rockwell, who captured many of this century's most enduring images of American life.
Travelers will find Boston and neighboring Cambridge to be a diverse metropolitan area, boasting some of the country's finest cultural institutions, professional sports arenas, and more than 100 colleges and universities that keep Massachusetts at the forefront of intellectual debate and scientific discovery. North of Boston, Cape Ann's beaches and eclectic towns and the witchcraft lore of Salem are popular with visitors. The Merrimack Valley is home to the battlefields of Lexington and Concord and the former homes of Massachusetts literary legends. South of Boston, explore the state's whaling history and the lives of its first settlers, the Pilgrims. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard have a flavor all their own--they're the perfect oceanside antidote to Boston's urban bustle. In the central part of the state, you'll find Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, and college towns such as Amherst and Northampton. The Berkshires of western Massachusetts are a summer haven for arts lovers, a pictur
esque paradise in autumn, and a winter wonderland for skiers.
Return to Massachusetts again and again. You'll always find something you've not yet discovered amid its
perfect blend of getaway ingredients.
|
