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Home > Social Studies > Geography > USA Activities > Massachusetts > Facts
 Massachusetts Facts and Trivia
Many symbols of Massachusetts can be found in our Massachusetts coloring pages section. This includes state map outlines, the flag, state flower, famous landmarks, state animals and other symbols of the region. These printables make a great resource for student reports.
Check out the Massachusetts Unit of Study for all coloring pages, information, interactive puzzles, word jumbles, word searches, worksheets, and thematic book reviews. We even included a state quarter observation sheet! |
 State Name: Massachusetts |
State Nickname: The Bay State
also known as The Old Colony State |
| State Capital: Boston |
| State Governor: Deval Patrick |
| State Abbreviation: Mass. |
| 2 letter Postal Code: MA |
| Area: 8,257 square miles |
| Date Entered the Union: Feb. 6, 1788 |
| State #: 6 |
| Borders: Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Atlantic Ocean |
 Flag Meaning: The Massachusetts coat of arms is centered on a white background. The arms consists of a Native American standing in a blue shield. He holds a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left hand. The arrow points downwards to symbolize peace. A five pointed star above his right shoulder, signifies Massachusetts as one of the states. The crest that appears at the top of the shield pictures a right arm bent at the elbow and holding a sword. The state motto - "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty" - defines this symbolism. A banner under the shield displays the state motto in Latin. The flag was adopted in 1908 and revised in 1971. |
| Number of U.S. Representatives: 10 |
| State Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty) |
| State Flower: mayflower |
| State Bird: chickadee |
| State Song: "All Hail to Massachusetts" |
| State Tree: American elm |
| State Mammal: Right Whale; Morgan Horse |
| State Reptile: Garter snake |
| State Fish: Cod |
| 10 Largest Cities (in order of size): Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Cambridge, Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, Quincy, Lynn |
Famous Residents:
- John Adams, president
- John Quincy Adams, president
- Samuel Adams, patriot
- Louisa May Alcott, writer
- Susan B. Anthony, woman's rights leader
- Clara Barton, American Red Cross founder
- George H. W. Bush, president
- E. E. Cummings, poet
- Bette Davis, actress
- Emily Dickinson, poet
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet
- Benjamin Franklin, statesman and scientist
- John Hancock, statesman
- Nathaniel Hawthorne, novelist
- Winslow Homer, painter
- John F. Kennedy, president
- Horace Mann, educator
- Herman Melville, writer
- Edgar Allan Poe, writer
- Paul Revere, Revolutionary War
- Norman Rockwell, artist
- Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), author and illustrator
- Henry David Thoreau, author
- James McNeill Whistler, painter
- Eli Whitney, inventor
- John Greenleaf Whittier, poet |
| Attractions: Old Plymouth Rock, Bunker Hill, Old North Church, Old Sturbridge Village, Harvard, Home of Emerson and Thoreau (Walden Pond), Nathanial Hawthorne Home, Old Ironsides (Constitution), Faneuil Hall, John and Priscilla Alden House, Old South Meeting House, Provincetown, Saugus Ironworks, Martha's Vineyard, The Fisherman's Memorial |
| Agriculture: cranberries, dairy products, flowers, ornamental shrubs, hay, poultry and eggs, vegetables. |
| Natural Resources: granite, sand, gravel, crushed stone |
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