Located
in the New England region, and bordered by Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the Atlantic Ocean, Massachusetts,
officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, owes its name to the
indigenous population, the Massachusett, which means "the people of the
great hills". The capital, as well as the state's largest city, is Boston, one of the oldest cities in the United States (1630), and the
scene of several key events of the American Revolution.
Despite
its small size, Massachusetts features numerous topographically
distinctive regions. The coastal plain of the Atlantic contains Greater Boston, along with most of the state's population, as well as the
distinctive Cape Cod peninsula. To the west lies the hilly, rural region
of Central Massachusetts, and beyond that, the Connecticut River Valley. Along the western border of Western Massachusetts lies the highest elevated part of the state, the Berkshire Mountains range.
Massachusetts
has played a significant historical, cultural, and commercial role in
American history. Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New
England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the Mayflower. Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher
learning in the US. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas
experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the
Salem witch trials.
In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution and the independence from Great Britain. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, including interchangeable parts. Before the Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the temperance, transcendentalist, and abolitionist movements.
In the late 19th century, the Olympic sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision of the state's Supreme Judicial Court. Massachusetts has contributed many prominent politicians to national service, including members of the Adams family and the Kennedy family.
In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution and the independence from Great Britain. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, including interchangeable parts. Before the Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the temperance, transcendentalist, and abolitionist movements.
In the late 19th century, the Olympic sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision of the state's Supreme Judicial Court. Massachusetts has contributed many prominent politicians to national service, including members of the Adams family and the Kennedy family.
The state's flag has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1776, though until 1908 it had no state flag. It displays, on both sides, the state coat of arms centered on a white field. The shield depicts an Algonquian Native American with bow and arrow; the arrow is pointed downward, signifying peace. The arm itself is the Goliad symbol common in early Texas flags and signifying the philosophy that those represented would rather lose their right arm than live under tyranny.
A white star with five points appears next to the figure's head, signifying Massachusetts' admission as the sixth U.S. state. A blue ribbon surrounds the shield, bearing the state motto Ense Petit Placidam, Sub Libertate Quietem (By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty). Above the shield is the state military crest: the bent arm holding a broadsword aloft. The sword has its blade up, to remind that it was through the American Revolution that liberty was won.
About the stamps
Two of the stamps are part of the definitives series American Design (2002-2007), about which I wrote here. The other two stamps are part of the series Hudson River School, about which I wrote here.
References
Massachusetts - Wikipedia
Flag of Massachusetts - Wikipedia
Sender: Denise
Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 14.01.2015
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