Massachusetts

(mās-sah-choo'sètz,) in New England, anE. State of the Amer. Union, b. N.E.by New Hampshire, W. and S.W. by the Atlantic Ocean, S. by Rhode Island and Connecticut, W. by New York, and N.E.by Vermont; bet. N. Lat. 41° 10′-42° 53′, W. Lon. 69° 56'73° 30′. Length, E. to W., 160 m.; breadth from 47 to a maximum of 110 m. Area, 7,800 sq. m., or 4,992,000 acres. The surface of M. presents three natural and diverse configurations. For some distance inland from the coast-line the country presents a somewhat level appearance, rising gradually into a hilly region, which latter takes up the more central division of the State territory, and is characterized by considerable valleys intersected by rivers, and by great areas of land occupied by pine barrens; thirdly, the extreme W. section of M., lying beyond the Connecticut River, forms quite a mountainous tract of country, with the Housatonic Valley lying bet. the Hoosic Mts. and the Taconic range, which latter constitutes the line of frontier dividing the State from her western neighbor of New York. Besides the Connecticut, above mentioned, the principal rivers draining M. are the Merrimac, Housatonic, Nashua, Taunton, Black stone, Charles, Chicopee, West field, and Deer field. At the S.E. extremity of the State lies the horn-shaped peninsula occupied by Barns table co., and terminating at Cape Cod, with Cape Cod Bay on the N. between it and Plymouth co., and S. Nantucket Island and Sound, Duke's Island and Vineyard Sound. In the more alpine parts of M. are found isolated mountain summits of considerable elevation, as those of Mounts Holyoke, Tom, Adams, Wachusett, and Washington. The soil in general is poor, though the most has been made of it by careful cultivation: exceptions, however, must be made in favor of the Housatonic and Connecticut valleys, where the land is naturally rich and spontaneously fertile. M. is preeminently a State ranking among the foremost in the Union in point of manufacturing enterprise and development; in the production of textile fabrics she stands at the head of American industry. Boots and shoes, machinery, clothing, paper, ., also stand high on the list of her staple manu fs. The fisheries - notably those of the cod and mackerel - employ a large amount of labor and capital, though of late years this dep. of commercial industry has been greatly on the decline. The State area is politically distributed over 14 cos.; and in a corresponding ratio with her territorial extent and returns of pop., M. is more liberally provided with large towns than any other American State. Foremost among these are the cap., Boston, with its outlying suburbs of Charles town, Chelsea, Cambridge, and Roxbury; Lynn, New bury port, Salem, Beverly, Lowell, Worcester, New Bedford, Fall River, & c. The repute of M. as regards educational diffusion and advancement has become national. Harvard College (q. v.), the " Cambridge " of America, is her offspring and her pride, and to this State must be credited the honor of first instituting that system of public schools which has now made such giant progre throughout the Union at large. The religious, philanthropic, and intellectual requirements of the citizens of M. are amply provided for in every kind and particular. (See BOSTON.) The executive power is vested in a governor elected annually, who is a isted by a staff of subordinates, and by an executive council of 8 members, chosen yearly. The legislature is composed of a Senate of40 members, and a House of Representatives of 240 members - all returned by the popular annual vote. This State sends 11 representatives to the Federal Congre . In 1870 the total debt of M. stood at $27,128,164; the a e ed value of real estate was $901,037,841; and of personal estate $690,945,271. The railroad interests throughout the State are extended upon a grand scale, and yearly enlarging their sphere of action. M. was colonized by a party of English emigrants who landed at Plymouth in 1620, and who are spoken of in history as the " Pilgrim Fathers." In 1692 the govt. became incorporated with that of Maine. In the intervening period, however, a war of 3 years with the native King Philip much barred the progre of the new settlements. M. initiated the movement in opposition to the obnoxious Stamp Act, 1770-4, and bore much of the brunt of the earlier warfare of the Revolution. In 1786, the so-called Shay Rebellion for some time disturbed the tranquillity of the State. Finally, M. nobly contributed, by her sacrifices in men and money, to the succe of the National arms in the late War of Sece ion. Pop. 1,457,351. [s. 583]