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The Commonwealth
of Massachusetts (IPA: /ˌmęsəˈtʃuːsɨts/) is a state located in
the New England region of the northeastern United States. Most
of its population of 6.4 million live in the Boston metropolitan
area. The eastern half of this relatively small state is mostly
urban and suburban. The west is primarily rural, also with most
of its population in urban enclaves. Massachusetts is the most
populous of the six New England states and ranks third in
overall population density among the 50 states.
Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history.
Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North
America. Colonists from England founded many towns and villages
in the present-day territory of Massachusetts very early in the
nation's history in the 1620s and 1630s. The Boston area became
known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the ferment there which led
to the American Revolution and the independence of the United
States from Great Britain. Massachusetts was the first U.S.
state to abolish slavery and was a center of the temperance
movement and abolitionist activity in the years leading to the
American Civil War. The state has contributed many prominent
politicians to national service, including the Adams family and,
more recently, the Kennedy family.
Originally dependent on agriculture and trade with Europe,
Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during
the Industrial Revolution. Migration of factories to the
lower-wage Southern states caused economic stagnation during the
first half of the 20th century. The economy of Massachusetts was
revived after World War II, and today is prominent in higher
education, health care, and high technology.
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