State Symbols of Massachusetts

By | Updated on January 18, 2023

Reviewed by Rittika

Massachusetts, officially known as The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a constituent state of the United States. It is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. Massachusetts was the first state to adopt an Indian name. “Massadchu-es-et” is an Algonquin term that means “great-hill-small-place.” The state was called after the Massachuset tribe by English explorer and colonist John Smith. It is thought to relate to Blue Hill, which rises south of Boston and can be seen from the bay. 

The most popular and official nickname for Massachusetts is The Bay State. Residents of Massachusetts are referred to as “Bay Staters.” The Massachusetts legislature formally recognized this on December 18, 1990.

It is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine, on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, and on the west by New York.

The capital and most populated city of Massachusetts’s Commonwealth is Boston, which is formally known as the City of Boston. America’s first post office was opened in Boston in 1639.

The fun fact is that Massachusetts citizens are believed to have the highest average IQ of all the U.S. states, surpassing 104, as reported by the World Population Review.

English people began colonizing Massachusetts at the beginning of the 17th century, and in the 18th century, it was transformed into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. About 12,000 years ago, people first began to inhabit what is now Massachusetts. A ship named the Mayflower arrived in Cape Cod in 1620, carrying people known as Pilgrims. The founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 marked the beginning of a significant Puritan migration, which resulted in the establishment of other New England colonies. These people founded Plymouth, the first permanent European settlement in New England. When London attempted to prevent American self-government, the American Revolutionary War began in Massachusetts in 1775.

In 1788, five years after the war ended, Massachusetts became the 6th U.S. state to join the Union.

With a total area of 10,554 sq mi (27,336 sq km), Massachusetts is the seventh smallest state in the U.S. The total population of the state is 7,029,917 as recorded in the United States Census 2020.

Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel) was named the official state children’s author and illustrator of Massachusetts in 2003. In 2008, Norman Rockwell was named the official state artist. The largest collection of Rockwell artwork in the world is exhibited in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

In 1918, the state of Massachusetts designated the Mayflower as its official flower, whereas, the official state song is “All Hail to Massachusetts”.

The official motto of the state is “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem” (Latin translation; “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty”).

The official language of the state of Massachusetts is English.

 

State Information

Official Language	English
State Rank	44
Demonym(s)	Bay Stater (official); Massachusite (traditional); Massachusettsan
Nickname	The Bay State (official) The Pilgrim State, The Puritan State, The Old Colony State, The Baked Bean State
ISO	US-MA
Formation Date	February 6, 1788
Coordinates	Lat: 41° 14′ N to 42° 53′ N, Long: 69° 56′ W to 73° 30′ W
Area

State seal

Motto of Massachusetts

Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem- "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty"

State symbols of Massachusetts 👇

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  State capital
  Boston
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  State bird
  Chickadee
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  State flower
  Mayflower
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  State fruit
  Cranberry
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  State tree
  American elm
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  State dance
  Square Dance
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  State reptile
  Garter snake
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  State insect
  Lady Bug
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  State gemstone
  Rhodonite
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  State animal
  Right Whale
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  State fish
  Cod

State location

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