6th
State |
Massachusetts |
New
England
The
Northeast |
Flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Nickname: Bay State, Old Colony State, Puritan State, Baked
Bean State.
Origin of Name: From Massachusetts tribe of Native Americans
of Native Americans, who lived in the Great Blue Hill region, south
of Boston. The Indian term means "at or about the Great Hill".
Massachusetts State:
Capital: Boston
Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword
we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)
Massachusetts
Great Seal
Bean: Navy Bean
Berry: Cranberry
Beverage: Cranberry Juice
Bird: Black-Capped Chickadee (Penthestes atricapillus)
Building Rock and Monument Stone: Granite
Cat: Tabby Cat (Felis familiaris)
Ceremonial March: The Road to Boston
Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookie
Dessert: Boston Cream Pie
Dog: Boston Terrier
Explorer Rock: Dighton Rock
Fish: Cod
Flower: Mayflower
Folk Dance: Square Dance
Folk Hero: Johnny Appleseed
Folk Song: "Massachusetts," words and music by Arlo Guthrie
Fossil: Theropod
Dinosaur
Game Bird: Wild Turkey
Gem: Rhodonite
Glee Club Song: The Great State of Massachusetts
Historical Rock: Plymouth
Rock
Horse: Morgan Horse
Insect: Ladybug
Marine Mammal: Right Whale (Eubabalena Glacialis)
Mineral: Babingtonite
Muffin: Corn Muffin
Ode of the Commonwealth: Ode
to Massachusetts (site includes music and lyrics)
Patriotic Song of the Commonwealth: "Massachusetts
(Because of You Our Land is Free)", words and music by Bernard Davidson
Poem: Blue Hills of Massachusetts (includes State Seal of MA.)
Rock: Roxbury Puddingstone
Shell: New England Neptune
Soil: Paxton Soil Series
Song: All
Hail to Massachusetts (site includes music and lyrics)
Tree: American Elm
Things to Know
Massachusetts produces the nation's largest cranberry crop.
Massachusetts is home to150 public and private institutions of higher
learning and is recognized worldwide for its academic heritage and
reputation. Some of the well-known ones are Harvard, MIT, Holy Cross,
Tufts, Boston College, Boston University, and the University of Massachusetts.
Fenway
Park in Boston, Massachusetts opened on April 20, 1912 and is
major league baseball's oldest ballpark.
The Pilgrims left Europe in 1620 to seek religious freedom. They made
a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on a ship called the
Mayflower. The Mayflower was named after a flower known as
"Trailing Arbutus," an evergreen with a white flower that
has a pink center. The Pilgrims established their settlement at
Plymouth, MA in 1620.
They were followed shortly by the Puritans, who established the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Puritans named their colony after a
local Indian tribe whose name means "a large hill place."
The birthplace of many of the ideals of the American Revolution,
Massachusetts attracted people who believed in self-government.
Massachusetts became a leader in resisting British oppression. In
1773, the Boston Tea Party protested unjust taxation. The Minute Men
started the American Revolution by battling British troops at
Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
Presidents From Massachusetts
John
Adams (1735 - 1826), 2nd President of the United States.
Printable
fact sheet on President John Adams provides you with photos and
personal information.
John
Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848), 6th President of the United States.
Son of John Adams (2nd U.S. President)
Printable
fact sheet on President John Quincy Adams provides you with
photos and personal information.
Calvin
Coolidge (1872-1933 ), 30th U.S. President
Printable
fact sheet on Calvin Coolidge provides you with photos and
personal information.
John
F. Kennedy(1917-1963), 35th president of the United States.
Printable
fact sheet on John F. Kennedy provides you with photos and
personal information.
George
Bush (1924- ), 41st U.S. President, Milton, Massachusetts.
Printable
fact sheet on President George Bush provides you with photos and
personal information.
Famous Bay Staters
Samuel
Adams (1722 - 1803), American Revolutionary patriot and
statesman, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of Massachusetts.
Emily
Dickinson (1830 - 1886), poet.
Benjamin
Franklin, (1706 - 1790), printer, author, philosopher, diplomat,
scientist, and inventor.
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), novelist.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), poet.
Paul Revere (1735 - 1818), silversmith and patriot.
Midnight
Rider A Paul Revere Virtual Museum
Read the poem Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow. This site contains 5
exhibit halls with many activities to do.
Henry
David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), essayist, naturalist, and philosopher.
Clara
Barton (1821-1912), American Red Cross founder.
Louisa
May Alcott (1832-1888), writer
Virtual visit of Orchard
House the home of the Alcott family.
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), woman suffragist
Things to Do
Poem: Blue Hills of Massachusetts (includes State Seal of MA.)
Before printing under File in Page Setup set margins to zero.
Massachusetts State Bird and
State Flower Printable Color Page.
Before printing under File in Page Setup set margins to zero.
Pomander Balls
Need: Thick skinned oranges, Whole cloves, Colored ribbon, Optional
nylon netting
Colonial women often placed pomander balls in baskets or cupboards to
hide cooking odors. They also carried them in handkerchiefs to sniff
to cover bad street odors.
Wash fruit and dry well. Insert whole cloves in skin, covering entire
surface of the fruit. Pre-punching holes into the fruit with a
ball-point pen or toothpick makes inserting the cloves easier.
Wrap fruit loosely in cheesecloth or place in a foil covered tray or
basket. If you wrap with cheesecloth you can also stick the tips of a
wire hairpin into the fruit. Wrap the fruit in a piece of
cheesecloth. and twist the cheesecloth together around the hairpin.
Use a piece of yarn to tie the cheesecloth onto the hairpin. Next tie
a ribbon bow around the yarn.
Store in a warm dry place till fruit shrinks and hardens, a week or
two then they are ready to use. Dried pomander balls can be placed in
a room to cover odors, a closet, or a drawer.
Indian Pudding
Need: 1 T. margarine, 2 ½ cups milk, ¾ cup cornmeal, 2
eggs, ½ cup molasses, ¼ t. salt
The first year the Pilgrims spent in America was difficult and harsh.
The Indians taught them how to create a pudding that featured
cornmeal with molasses as a sweetener. It became known as Indian Pudding.
Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a
baking dish with the margarine. In a saucepan, mix the milk and
cornmeal together over medium heat, stirring often. Cook about 10 to
15 minutes or until thickened. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Gradually add the eggs to the cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly.
Add the molasses and salt. Stir. Remove cornmeal mixture from heat
and pour into the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes
and then serve warm.
Today the pudding is served topped with vanilla ice cream.
Things to Do-Other Sites
Make
a hornbook
The Pilgrims taught young boys and girls to read using hornbooks.
Sites to See
The
Mayflower Web Pages
In-depth site for Mayflower History and Genealogy
Colonial
Boston & Paul Revere - An Interactive Map
Salem
Witch Museum
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Secrets of the Dead: The Witches Curse (PBS)
Boston Cooking
School Cook Book
Lots of old-time recipes from Fannie Farmer, published in 1918.
