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Massachusetts was a site of early [[British colonization of the Americas|English colonization]]. The [[Plymouth Colony]] was founded in 1620 by the [[Pilgrim Fathers|Pilgrims]] of the ''[[Mayflower]]''. In 1630, the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]], taking its name from the Indigenous [[Massachusett|Massachusett people]], also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of [[mass hysteria]], the [[Salem witch trials]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1692 Salem Witch Trials |url=http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education |publisher=Salem Witch Trials Museum |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"<ref>{{cite web |title=Faneuil Hall |url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/sites/faneuil-hall.htm |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=Celebrateboston.com}}</ref> for the agitation there that later led to the [[American Revolution]]. In 1786, [[Shays' Rebellion]], a populist revolt led by disaffected [[American Revolutionary War]] veterans, influenced the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|United States Constitutional Convention]].<ref name="shay">{{cite web |title=Shays' Rebellion |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/15a.asp |publisher=ushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Originally dependent on [[Agriculture in Massachusetts|agriculture]], [[fishing]], and [[trade]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Maritime Commerce |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/commerce.htm |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the [[Industrial Revolution]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Lowell, Massachusetts |url=http://www.lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405013026/http://lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-date=April 5, 2010 |publisher=City of Lowell |access-date=April 21, 2015 }}</ref> Before the [[American Civil War]], the state was a center for the [[abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]], [[temperance movement|temperance]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Temperance Issue in the Election of 1840: Massachusetts |url=http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/articles/temperance-issue-election-1840-massachusetts |publisher=Teachushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> and [[transcendentalist]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Packer |first1=Barbara |title=The Transcendentalists |publisher=University of Georgia Press; First edition (April 25, 2007) |isbn=978-0-8203-2958-1|year=2007 }}</ref> movements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts |url=http://www.masshist.org/online/abolition/index.php |publisher=Masshist.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>  During the 20th century, the state's economy [[Massachusetts Miracle|shifted from manufacturing to services]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Staying Power: The Future of Manufacturing in Massachusetts |url=http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf |publisher=The Center for Urban and Regional Policy School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy Northeastern University |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071505/http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf }}</ref> and in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in [[biotechnology]],<ref name="MassachusettsLargestBiotechHubWorld">{{cite web|url=https://www.epmscientific.com/blog/2023/02/boston-is-now-the-largest-biotech-hub|title=Boston is Now the Largest Biotech Hub in the World|publisher=EPM Scientific|date=February 2023|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> and also excels in [[artificial intelligence]],<ref name="BostonAIHub">{{cite web|url=https://venturefizz.com/stories/boston/why-boston-will-be-star-ai-revolution#:~:text=Boston%20startups%20are%20working%20to,include%20Lightmatter%20and%20Forge.ai.|title=Why Boston Will Be the Star of The AI Revolution|date=October 24, 2017 |publisher=VentureFizz|access-date=November 9, 2023|quote=Boston startups are working to overcome some of the largest technical barriers holding AI back, and they're attracting attention across a wide variety of industries in the process.}}</ref> [[engineering]], [[List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts|higher education]], [[finance]], and [[maritime trade]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Housing and Economic Development: Key Industries |url=http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ |publisher=mass.gov |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422015358/http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ }}</ref>
Massachusetts was a site of early [[British colonization of the Americas|English colonization]]. The [[Plymouth Colony]] was founded in 1620 by the [[Pilgrim Fathers|Pilgrims]] of the ''[[Mayflower]]''. In 1630, the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]], taking its name from the Indigenous [[Massachusett|Massachusett people]], also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of [[mass hysteria]], the [[Salem witch trials]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1692 Salem Witch Trials |url=http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education |publisher=Salem Witch Trials Museum |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"<ref>{{cite web |title=Faneuil Hall |url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/sites/faneuil-hall.htm |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=Celebrateboston.com}}</ref> for the agitation there that later led to the [[American Revolution]]. In 1786, [[Shays' Rebellion]], a populist revolt led by disaffected [[American Revolutionary War]] veterans, influenced the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|United States Constitutional Convention]].<ref name="shay">{{cite web |title=Shays' Rebellion |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/15a.asp |publisher=ushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Originally dependent on [[Agriculture in Massachusetts|agriculture]], [[fishing]], and [[trade]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Maritime Commerce |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/commerce.htm |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the [[Industrial Revolution]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Lowell, Massachusetts |url=http://www.lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405013026/http://lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-date=April 5, 2010 |publisher=City of Lowell |access-date=April 21, 2015 }}</ref> Before the [[American Civil War]], the state was a center for the [[abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]], [[temperance movement|temperance]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Temperance Issue in the Election of 1840: Massachusetts |url=http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/articles/temperance-issue-election-1840-massachusetts |publisher=Teachushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> and [[transcendentalist]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Packer |first1=Barbara |title=The Transcendentalists |publisher=University of Georgia Press; First edition (April 25, 2007) |isbn=978-0-8203-2958-1|year=2007 }}</ref> movements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts |url=http://www.masshist.org/online/abolition/index.php |publisher=Masshist.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>  During the 20th century, the state's economy [[Massachusetts Miracle|shifted from manufacturing to services]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Staying Power: The Future of Manufacturing in Massachusetts |url=http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf |publisher=The Center for Urban and Regional Policy School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy Northeastern University |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071505/http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf }}</ref> and in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in [[biotechnology]],<ref name="MassachusettsLargestBiotechHubWorld">{{cite web|url=https://www.epmscientific.com/blog/2023/02/boston-is-now-the-largest-biotech-hub|title=Boston is Now the Largest Biotech Hub in the World|publisher=EPM Scientific|date=February 2023|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> and also excels in [[artificial intelligence]],<ref name="BostonAIHub">{{cite web|url=https://venturefizz.com/stories/boston/why-boston-will-be-star-ai-revolution#:~:text=Boston%20startups%20are%20working%20to,include%20Lightmatter%20and%20Forge.ai.|title=Why Boston Will Be the Star of The AI Revolution|date=October 24, 2017 |publisher=VentureFizz|access-date=November 9, 2023|quote=Boston startups are working to overcome some of the largest technical barriers holding AI back, and they're attracting attention across a wide variety of industries in the process.}}</ref> [[engineering]], [[List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts|higher education]], [[finance]], and [[maritime trade]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Housing and Economic Development: Key Industries |url=http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ |publisher=mass.gov |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422015358/http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ }}</ref>


The state's capital and [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|most populous city]], as well as its cultural and [[financial center]], is [[Boston]]. Other major cities are [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]. Massachusetts is also home to the [[urban area|urban]] core of [[Greater Boston]], the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American [[History of the United States|history]], [[academia]], and the [[Economy of the United States|research economy]].<ref name="GreaterBoston">{{cite web |last1=Douglas |first1=Craig |title=Greater Boston gains population, remains 10th-largest region in U.S |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/22/daily22.html?page=all |work=Boston Business Journal |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts has a reputation for social and political [[Progressivism in the United States|progressivism]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Does 'Massachusetts liberal' label still matter? |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-25-mass-liberal_x.htm |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=www.usatoday.com}}</ref> becoming the only U.S. state with a [[right to housing|right to shelter]] law, and the first U.S. state, and one of the earliest [[jurisdiction]]s in the world to legally recognize [[same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]].<ref name="CNNmarriage">{{cite news |date=November 18, 2003 |title=Massachusetts court strikes down ban on same-sex marriage |publisher=CNN |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/18/gay.marriage.reut/ |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>  [[Harvard University]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] is the [[colonial colleges|oldest institution of higher learning in the United States]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Harvard University |url=http://www.harvard.edu/history |publisher=[[Harvard University]] |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> with the largest [[financial endowment]] of any university in the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/us/harvards-endowment-remains-biggest-of-all.html|title=Harvard's Endowment Remains Biggest of All |first=Tamar |last=Lewin |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> Both [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]], also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded [[academic institution]]s in the world.<ref name="AcademicRanking2">[https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2016/reputation-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank_label/sort_order/asc/cols/rank_only] ''Times Higher Education''. Retrieved December 3, 2016.</ref> Massachusetts's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3" />
The state's capital and [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|most populous city]], as well as its cultural and [[financial center]], is [[Boston]]. Other major cities are [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]. Massachusetts is also home to the [[urban area|urban]] core of [[Greater Boston]], the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American [[History of the United States|history]], [[academia]], and the [[Economy of the United States|research economy]].<ref name="GreaterBoston">{{cite web |last1=Douglas |first1=Craig |title=Greater Boston gains population, remains 10th-largest region in U.S |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/22/daily22.html?page=all |work=Boston Business Journal |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts has a reputation for social and political [[Progressivism in the United States|progressivism]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Does 'Massachusetts liberal' label still matter? |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-25-mass-liberal_x.htm |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=www.usatoday.com}}</ref> becoming the only U.S. state with a [[right to housing|right to shelter]] law, and the first U.S. state, and one of the earliest [[jurisdiction]]s in the world to legally recognize [[same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]].<ref name="CNNmarriage">{{cite news |date=November 18, 2003 |title=Massachusetts court strikes down ban on same-sex marriage |publisher=CNN |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/18/gay.marriage.reut/ |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>  [[Harvard University]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] is the [[colonial colleges|oldest institution of higher learning in the United States]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Harvard University |url=http://www.harvard.edu/history |publisher=[[Harvard University]] |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> with the largest [[financial endowment]] of any university in the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/us/harvards-endowment-remains-biggest-of-all.html|title=Harvard's Endowment Remains Biggest of All |first=Tamar |last=Lewin |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> Both [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]], also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded [[academic institution]]s in the world.<ref name="AcademicRanking2">[https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2016/reputation-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank_label/sort_order/asc/cols/rank_only] ''Times Higher Education''. Retrieved December 3, 2016.</ref> Massachusetts's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3" />


Massachusetts is the most educated<ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState/> and one of the most highly developed and wealthiest U.S. states, ranking first in the [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|percentage of population 25 and over with either a bachelor's degree]] or [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|advanced degree]], first on both the [[List of U.S. states by American Human Development Index|American Human Development Index]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by Human Development Index|standard Human Development Index]], [[List of U.S. states and territories by income|first in per capita income]], and as of 2023, first in [[median income]].<ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/06/us-states-where-americans-earn-lowest-wages.html|title=10 U.S. states where Americans earn the lowest incomes—only 2 aren't in the South|author=Kamaron McNair|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=April 6, 2024|access-date=April 6, 2024|quote=More education typically correlates with higher earnings, which helps explain why Massachusetts — the most-educated state, with nearly 47% of its population holding a bachelor's degree or higher — is also the highest-paid, according to the St. Louis Fed.}}</ref> Consequently, Massachusetts typically ranks as the top U.S. state,<ref name=MassachusettsBestStateToLive>{{cite web|url=https://wrnjradio.com/wallethub-new-jersey-is-2024s-3rd-best-state-to-live-in/|title=WalletHub: New Jersey is 2024's 3rd best state to live in|author=Jay Edwards|publisher=WRNJ Radio|date=August 12, 2024|access-date=August 13, 2024}}</ref> as well as the most expensive state, for residents to live in.<ref name=MassachusettsMostExpensiveState>{{cite web|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/20/the-salary-a-family-of-4-needs-to-get-by-in-every-us-state.html#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20most%20expensive,Connecticut%3A%20%24139%2C924|title=The salary a family of 4 needs to get by in every U.S. state—it's more than $150,000 in the most expensive one|author=Mike Winters|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=June 20, 2024|access-date=June 22, 2024}}</ref>
Massachusetts is the most educated<ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState/> and one of the most highly developed and wealthiest U.S. states, ranking first in the [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|percentage of population 25 and over with either a bachelor's degree]] or [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|advanced degree]], first on both the [[List of U.S. states by American Human Development Index|American Human Development Index]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by Human Development Index|standard Human Development Index]], [[List of U.S. states and territories by income|first in per capita income]], and as of 2023, first in [[median income]].<ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/06/us-states-where-americans-earn-lowest-wages.html|title=10 U.S. states where Americans earn the lowest incomes—only 2 aren't in the South|author=Kamaron McNair|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=April 6, 2024|access-date=April 6, 2024|quote=More education typically correlates with higher earnings, which helps explain why Massachusetts — the most-educated state, with nearly 47% of its population holding a bachelor's degree or higher — is also the highest-paid, according to the St. Louis Fed.}}</ref> Consequently, Massachusetts typically ranks as the top U.S. state,<ref name=MassachusettsBestStateToLive>{{cite web|url=https://wrnjradio.com/wallethub-new-jersey-is-2024s-3rd-best-state-to-live-in/|title=WalletHub: New Jersey is 2024's 3rd best state to live in|author=Jay Edwards|publisher=WRNJ Radio|date=August 12, 2024|access-date=August 13, 2024}}</ref> as well as the most expensive state, for residents to live in.<ref name=MassachusettsMostExpensiveState>{{cite web|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/20/the-salary-a-family-of-4-needs-to-get-by-in-every-us-state.html#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20most%20expensive,Connecticut%3A%20%24139%2C924|title=The salary a family of 4 needs to get by in every U.S. state—it's more than $150,000 in the most expensive one|author=Mike Winters|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=June 20, 2024|access-date=June 22, 2024}}</ref>
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[[File:MA Public High School District SAT by town.png|thumb|Towns in Massachusetts by combined mean SAT of their public high school district for the 2015–2016 academic year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/sat_perf.aspx|title=2015–16 SAT Performance Statewide Report|website=profiles.doe.mass.edu}}</ref>]]
[[File:MA Public High School District SAT by town.png|thumb|Towns in Massachusetts by combined mean SAT of their public high school district for the 2015–2016 academic year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/sat_perf.aspx|title=2015–16 SAT Performance Statewide Report|website=profiles.doe.mass.edu}}</ref>]]


In 2018, Massachusetts's overall educational system was ranked the top among all fifty U.S. states by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-best-states-for-education?int=undefined-rec&slide=10|title=The 10 Best U.S. States for Education—2. New Jersey|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=February 27, 2018|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> Massachusetts was the first state in North America to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school with the passage of the [[Massachusetts School Laws|Massachusetts Education Law]] of 1647,{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=313}} and 19th century reforms pushed by [[Horace Mann]] laid much of the groundwork for contemporary universal public education{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=311}}{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=251–52}} which was established in 1852.<ref name=compschools /> Massachusetts is home to the oldest school in continuous existence in North America ([[The Roxbury Latin School]], founded in 1645), as well as the country's oldest public elementary school ([[The Mather School]], founded in 1639),<ref>{{cite web |title=Mather Elementary School |url=http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/school/mather-elementary-school |publisher=Boston Public Schools |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest high school ([[Boston Latin School]], founded in 1635),<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramírez |first=Eddy |title=The First Class State |url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |newspaper=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219191828/http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |archive-date=December 19, 2008 }}</ref> its oldest continuously operating boarding school ([[The Governor's Academy]], founded in 1763),<ref>{{cite web |title=#26 The Governors Academy, Byfield, Mass |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-private-schools-2011-4#26-the-governors-academy-byfield-mass-3 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest college ([[Harvard University]], founded in 1636),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rimer |first1=Sara |last2=Finder |first2=Alan |title=Harvard Plans to Name First Female President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/education/10harvard.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 10, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> and its oldest women's college ([[Mount Holyoke College]], founded in 1837).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studypoint.com/admissions/mount-holyoke/ |title=Mount Holyoke Admissions Information |publisher=StudyPoint |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts is also home to the highest ranked private high school in the United States, [[Phillips Academy]] in [[Andover, Massachusetts]], which was founded in 1778.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dangremond|first=Sam|date=August 1, 2018|title=These Are the Best Private High Schools in America, According to a New Ranking|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/news/a8639/best-private-high-schools-in-america/|access-date=July 21, 2010|website=Town and Country}}</ref>
In 2018, Massachusetts's overall educational system was ranked the top among all fifty U.S. states by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-best-states-for-education?int=undefined-rec&slide=10|title=The 10 Best U.S. States for Education—2. New Jersey|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=February 27, 2018|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> Massachusetts was the first state in North America to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school with the passage of the [[Massachusetts School Laws|Massachusetts Education Law]] of 1647,{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=313}} and 19th century reforms pushed by [[Horace Mann]] laid much of the groundwork for contemporary universal public education{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=311}}{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=251–52}} which was established in 1852.<ref name=compschools /> Massachusetts is home to the oldest school in continuous existence in North America ([[The Roxbury Latin School]], founded in 1645), as well as the country's oldest public elementary school ([[The Mather School]], founded in 1639),<ref>{{cite web |title=Mather Elementary School |url=http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/school/mather-elementary-school |publisher=Boston Public Schools |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest high school ([[Boston Latin School]], founded in 1635),<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramírez |first=Eddy |title=The First Class State |url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |newspaper=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219191828/http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |archive-date=December 19, 2008 }}</ref> its oldest continuously operating boarding school ([[The Governor's Academy]], founded in 1763),<ref>{{cite web |title=#26 The Governors Academy, Byfield, Mass |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-private-schools-2011-4#26-the-governors-academy-byfield-mass-3 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest college ([[Harvard University]], founded in 1636),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rimer |first1=Sara |last2=Finder |first2=Alan |title=Harvard Plans to Name First Female President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/education/10harvard.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 10, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> and its oldest women's college ([[Mount Holyoke College]], founded in 1837).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studypoint.com/admissions/mount-holyoke/ |title=Mount Holyoke Admissions Information |publisher=StudyPoint |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts is also home to the highest ranked private high school in the United States, [[Phillips Academy]] in [[Andover, Massachusetts]], which was founded in 1778.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dangremond|first=Sam|date=August 1, 2018|title=These Are the Best Private High Schools in America, According to a New Ranking|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/news/a8639/best-private-high-schools-in-america/|access-date=July 21, 2010|website=Town and Country}}</ref>


Massachusetts's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was eighth in the nation in 2012, at $14,844.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bidwell |first1=Allie |title=How States Are Spending Money in Education |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=May 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505044339/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |archive-date=May 5, 2015 }}</ref> In 2013, Massachusetts scored highest of all the states in math and third-highest in reading on the [[National Assessment of Educational Progress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Are the nation's twelfth-graders making progress in mathematics and reading? |url=http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/ |publisher=[[National Assessment of Educational Progress]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts' public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3">{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |url-status=live |title=Massachusetts Students Score among World Leaders on PISA Reading, Science and Math Tests |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204051502/http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |archive-date=December 4, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref>
Massachusetts's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was eighth in the nation in 2012, at $14,844.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bidwell |first1=Allie |title=How States Are Spending Money in Education |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=May 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505044339/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |archive-date=May 5, 2015 }}</ref> In 2013, Massachusetts scored highest of all the states in math and third-highest in reading on the [[National Assessment of Educational Progress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Are the nation's twelfth-graders making progress in mathematics and reading? |url=http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/ |publisher=[[National Assessment of Educational Progress]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts' public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3">{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |url-status=live |title=Massachusetts Students Score among World Leaders on PISA Reading, Science and Math Tests |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204051502/http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |archive-date=December 4, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref>
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Massachusetts has a long political history; earlier political structures included the [[Mayflower Compact]] of 1620, the separate [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay]] and [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]] colonies, and the combined colonial [[Province of Massachusetts]]. The [[Massachusetts Constitution]] was ratified in 1780 while the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] was in progress, four years after the [[Articles of Confederation]] was drafted, and eight years before the present [[United States Constitution]] was ratified on June 21, 1788. Drafted by [[John Adams]], the Massachusetts Constitution is the oldest functioning written constitution in continuous effect in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levy |first=Leonard |title=Seasoned Judgments: The American Constitution, Rights, and History |year=1995 |page=307 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7lKq0dfs54C&pg=PA307 |access-date=June 10, 2015|isbn=978-1-4128-3382-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kemp |first=Roger |title=Documents of American Democracy |year=2010 |page=59 |publisher=McFarland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHawgM-WnlUC&pg=PA59|isbn=978-0-7864-5674-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Murrin |first=John |title=Liberty, Power, and Equality: A History |year=2011 |publisher=Cengage Learning |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CADtJymgzk4C&pg=PT222|isbn=978-0-495-91587-4 }}</ref> It has been amended 121 times, most recently in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Constitution |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution |website=malegislature.gov |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>
Massachusetts has a long political history; earlier political structures included the [[Mayflower Compact]] of 1620, the separate [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay]] and [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]] colonies, and the combined colonial [[Province of Massachusetts]]. The [[Massachusetts Constitution]] was ratified in 1780 while the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] was in progress, four years after the [[Articles of Confederation]] was drafted, and eight years before the present [[United States Constitution]] was ratified on June 21, 1788. Drafted by [[John Adams]], the Massachusetts Constitution is the oldest functioning written constitution in continuous effect in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levy |first=Leonard |title=Seasoned Judgments: The American Constitution, Rights, and History |year=1995 |page=307 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7lKq0dfs54C&pg=PA307 |access-date=June 10, 2015|isbn=978-1-4128-3382-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kemp |first=Roger |title=Documents of American Democracy |year=2010 |page=59 |publisher=McFarland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHawgM-WnlUC&pg=PA59|isbn=978-0-7864-5674-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Murrin |first=John |title=Liberty, Power, and Equality: A History |year=2011 |publisher=Cengage Learning |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CADtJymgzk4C&pg=PT222|isbn=978-0-495-91587-4 }}</ref> It has been amended 121 times, most recently in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Constitution |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution |website=malegislature.gov |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>


Massachusetts politics since the second half of the 20th century have generally been dominated by the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], and the state has a reputation for being the most [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] state in the country.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickey |first1=Walter |title=The Most Liberal States In America |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-liberal-states-2013-2#2-massachusetts--305-percent-liberal-9 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> In 1974, [[Elaine Noble]] became [[List of the first LGBT holders of political offices|the first]] openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a state legislature in US history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gianoulis |first=Tina |title=Noble, Elaine |publisher=glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture |date=October 13, 2005 |url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |access-date=September 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030032157/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |archive-date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref> The state's [[Massachusetts's 12th congressional district|12th congressional district]] elected the first openly gay member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], [[Gerry Studds]], in 1972<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cave |first1=Damien |title=Gerry Studds Dies at 69; First Openly Gay Congressman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/us/15studds.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 15, 2006 |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> and in 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to allow [[same-sex marriage]].<ref name=CNNmarriage/> In 2006, Massachusetts became the first state to approve a law that provided for nearly universal healthcare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/us/04cnd-mass.html|title=Massachusetts Set to Offer Universal Health Insurance|last=Belluck|first=Pam|date=April 4, 2006|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 28, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Mandatory"/> Massachusetts has a pro-[[sanctuary city]] law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/politics/sanctuary-city-bans-states/index.html|title=Florida is about to ban sanctuary cities. At least 11 other states have, too|first=Catherine E. |last=Shoichet|publisher=CNN|date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> As of 2024, Massachusetts has a Democratic Governor, two Democratic Senators, and all nine Congressional Representatives are Democrats. Massachusetts is a blue state; [[Ronald Reagan]] was the last Republican to win the state in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]].
Massachusetts politics since the second half of the 20th century have generally been dominated by the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], and the state has a reputation for being the most [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] state in the country.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickey |first1=Walter |title=The Most Liberal States In America |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-liberal-states-2013-2#2-massachusetts--305-percent-liberal-9 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> In 1974, [[Elaine Noble]] became [[List of the first LGBT holders of political offices|the first]] openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a state legislature in US history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gianoulis |first=Tina |title=Noble, Elaine |publisher=glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture |date=October 13, 2005 |url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |access-date=September 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030032157/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |archive-date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref> The state's [[Massachusetts's 12th congressional district|12th congressional district]] elected the first openly gay member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], [[Gerry Studds]], in 1972<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cave |first1=Damien |title=Gerry Studds Dies at 69; First Openly Gay Congressman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/us/15studds.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 15, 2006 |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> and in 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to allow [[same-sex marriage]].<ref name=CNNmarriage/> In 2006, Massachusetts became the first state to approve a law that provided for nearly universal healthcare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/us/04cnd-mass.html|title=Massachusetts Set to Offer Universal Health Insurance|last=Belluck|first=Pam|date=April 4, 2006|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 28, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Mandatory"/> Massachusetts has a pro-[[sanctuary city]] law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/politics/sanctuary-city-bans-states/index.html|title=Florida is about to ban sanctuary cities. At least 11 other states have, too|first=Catherine E. |last=Shoichet|publisher=CNN|date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> As of 2024, Massachusetts has a Democratic Governor, two Democratic Senators, and all nine Congressional Representatives are Democrats. Massachusetts is a blue state; [[Ronald Reagan]] was the last Republican to win the state in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]].


In a 2020 study, Massachusetts was ranked as the 11th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
In a 2020 study, Massachusetts was ranked as the 11th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
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[[File:USS Constitution salutes Bataan 2005.jpg|thumb|left|USS ''[[USS Constitution|Constitution]]'' fires a [[Gun salute|salute]] during its annual Fourth of July turnaround cruise]]
[[File:USS Constitution salutes Bataan 2005.jpg|thumb|left|USS ''[[USS Constitution|Constitution]]'' fires a [[Gun salute|salute]] during its annual Fourth of July turnaround cruise]]


[[File:OldShipEntrance.jpg|thumb|Built in 1681, the [[Old Ship Church]] in [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]] is the oldest church in America in continuous ecclesiastical use.<ref>{{cite news |last=Butterfield |first=Fox |title=The Perfect New England Town |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/14/travel/the-perfect-new-england-village.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 14, 1989 |access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> Massachusetts has since become one of the most [[irreligion|irreligious]] states in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama|title=How religious is your state?|author= Michael Lipka and Benjamin Wormald|publisher=Pew research center|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref>]]
[[File:OldShipEntrance.jpg|thumb|Built in 1681, the [[Old Ship Church]] in [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]] is the oldest church in America in continuous ecclesiastical use.<ref>{{cite news |last=Butterfield |first=Fox |title=The Perfect New England Town |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/14/travel/the-perfect-new-england-village.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 14, 1989 |access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> Massachusetts has since become one of the most [[irreligion|irreligious]] states in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama|title=How religious is your state?|author= Michael Lipka and Benjamin Wormald|publisher=Pew research center|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref>]]


Massachusetts is home to a large number of museums and historical sites. The [[Clark Art Institute]], the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]], the [[Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston]], and the [[DeCordova Museum|DeCordova]] contemporary art and sculpture museum in [[Lincoln, Massachusetts|Lincoln]] are all located within Massachusetts,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/visitors/museums.asp |title=Museums |publisher=City of [[Boston]] |access-date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> and the [[Maria Mitchell Association]] in [[Nantucket]] includes several observatories, museums, and an aquarium.<ref>{{cite web |title=Art Museums |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 29, 2010 |url=http://www.massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010124413/http://massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref> Historically themed museums and sites such as the [[Springfield Armory National Historic Site]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]],<ref name=NPS1/> Boston's [[Freedom Trail]] and nearby [[Minute Man National Historical Park]], both of which preserve a number of sites important during the [[American Revolution]],<ref name=NPS1/><ref>{{cite web |title=Places To Go |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=December 30, 2009 |url=http://www.nps.gov/bost/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm}}</ref> the [[Lowell National Historical Park]], which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the US,<ref name=NPS1/> the [[Black Heritage Trail]] in Boston, which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm |title=Black Heritage Trail |publisher=[[African Meeting House|Museum of African American History]] |access-date=May 29, 2010 |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702194503/http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm }}</ref> and the [[New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park]]<ref name=NPS1/> all showcase various periods of Massachusetts's history. [[Plymouth Rock]], marks the disembarkation site of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] who founded [[Plymouth Colony]] in December 1620.
Massachusetts is home to a large number of museums and historical sites. The [[Clark Art Institute]], the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]], the [[Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston]], and the [[DeCordova Museum|DeCordova]] contemporary art and sculpture museum in [[Lincoln, Massachusetts|Lincoln]] are all located within Massachusetts,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/visitors/museums.asp |title=Museums |publisher=City of [[Boston]] |access-date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> and the [[Maria Mitchell Association]] in [[Nantucket]] includes several observatories, museums, and an aquarium.<ref>{{cite web |title=Art Museums |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 29, 2010 |url=http://www.massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010124413/http://massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref> Historically themed museums and sites such as the [[Springfield Armory National Historic Site]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]],<ref name=NPS1/> Boston's [[Freedom Trail]] and nearby [[Minute Man National Historical Park]], both of which preserve a number of sites important during the [[American Revolution]],<ref name=NPS1/><ref>{{cite web |title=Places To Go |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=December 30, 2009 |url=http://www.nps.gov/bost/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm}}</ref> the [[Lowell National Historical Park]], which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the US,<ref name=NPS1/> the [[Black Heritage Trail]] in Boston, which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm |title=Black Heritage Trail |publisher=[[African Meeting House|Museum of African American History]] |access-date=May 29, 2010 |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702194503/http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm }}</ref> and the [[New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park]]<ref name=NPS1/> all showcase various periods of Massachusetts's history. [[Plymouth Rock]], marks the disembarkation site of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] who founded [[Plymouth Colony]] in December 1620.
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