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MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts is a state in the USA. Massachusetts derives its name from an Indian word meaning the 'great hills', these being the Blue Hills near Boston. The first settlement made by Gosnold on Cuttyhunk, in 1602, was a failure. The first permanent settlement was made in 1620 at Plymouth, by 120 English Independents from Leyden. The colonists who came over in the Mayflower intended to found a settlement in Northern Virginia, and had obtained a charter from the London Company for that purpose. When forced to land in Massachusetts they signed the famous compact on board the Mayflower, in which they agreed to abide by such laws as should be passed for the welfare of the colony.

Their leaders were John Carver and William Bradford. For four years they struggled under a system of communism. In 1627, the colonists purchased the financial interest of the London merchants who had advanced money for the enterprise. The colony was never able to obtain a charter from the king because of its avowed opposition to the Church of England, and in 1691 it was incorporated with Massachusetts Bay colony. The foundation of the latter colony was laid by some Dorchester merchants, who in 1623 made a settlement on Cape Ann for trading purposes. In 1626 this settlement was moved to Salem by Conant. Two years later certain leading Puritans of England obtained a grant from the Plymouth Company for the land from three miles south of the Charles River to three miles north of the Merrimac, and westward to the ' South Sea'. Organizing ostensibly as a trading company, they obtained a charter from Charles I.

In 1630 the government of the company was moved to America, and one thousand conforming Puritans came over under Winthrop, Dudley, Higginson and Skelton, and founded Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Roxbury and Boston. None but church members were allowed to vote. In 1631, upon the refusal of Watertown to pay a tax, because of no representation, the House of Representatives was formed of two members from each town. In 1644, the General Court became bicameral. Massachusetts prepared to resist by force an attack from England on her charter in 1634.

Harvard College was founded in l636, and Roger Williams banished from the colony for preaching against the connection of church and State. In 1637 occurred the trouble with Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomians. In the same year the Pequods of Connecticut were crushed. In 1641 the first body of statutes, called the 'Body of Liberties', was adopted.

Massachusetts joined the New England confederation in 1643. In 1648 the Cambridge platform was formulated, and four years later a colonial mint was established.

The first Quakers arrived in Boston in 1656, and a law was soon passed against 'Quakers and Ranters'. In 1674 King Philip's War broke out. The charter was revoked in 1684, and two years later Andros was sent over as royal Governor. A new charter was obtained in 1691, by which the religious qualification was abolished and the colony made a royal province, its Governor to be appointed by the crown.

Witchcraft supposedly appeared at Salem and twenty persons were infamously executed as witches in 1692.

Massachusetts aided England in the French and Indian Wars, by capturing Port Royal in 1690, and Louisburg in 1745. The boundary line with New Hampshire was settled in 1737. From 1765 to 1776, the history of the State is the history of the American Revolution. In 1765 the Stamp Act was passed and Massachusetts issued a call for the Stamp-Act Congress to meet in New York.

In 1768 English troops were sent to Boston and in 1770 the Boston Massacre occurred. In 1773 occurred the Boston Tea-Party, when $100,000 worth of tea was destroyed. In 1774 Boston port was closed by the English. The colony, being virtually deprived of her charter, organized a government of her own.

In 1780 a new State Constitution was adopted, which was drawn up largely by John Adams. By a judicial interpretation of the preamble of this Constitution, the institution of slavery was destroyed. In 1786 occurred Shay's Rebellion at Worcester and Springfield. A severe struggle took place over the adoption of the Federal Constitution, which was finally adopted on February the 6th, 1788, by a vote of 187 to 168. The opponents' of the Constitution were led by S Adams, Hancock and Gerry. Its advocates were Rufus King, Theophilus Parsons and Fisher Ames.

The Embargo Act caused great indignation in the State. It was opposed to the War of 1812, and in 1814 sent representatives to the Hartford Convention. In 1820 Maine became a separate State. In 1823 the Democrats came into power permanently, and the Federalists became extinct. From this time Massachusetts allied herself with Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Louisiana and other States in the support of a protective tariff, this change was caused by the growth of her manufacturing industries.

In, 1833 the Congregationalist church was dis-established, Davis, a Whig, was elected Governor in 1834. In 1839 Morton was elected Governor by the Democrats by a majority of two. The State cast a large vote for the candidates of the Liberty party in 1844 and 1845, and for those of the Free-Soil party in 1848 and 1849. In 1850, by a coalition of Democrats and Free-Soilers, the latter secured the election of Charles Sumner as US Senator.
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