Massachusetts Custom License Plates and Frames

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United
States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont
and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lays the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts is the 7th least extensive, but
the 14th most populous and the 3rd most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state features two separate
metropolitan areas – the eastern Boston metropolitan area and the western Springfield metropolitan area.
Approximately two thirds of the state's population lives in Greater Boston, most of which is either urban or
suburban. Western Massachusetts features one urban area – the Knowledge Corridor along the Connecticut River – and
a mix of college towns and rural areas. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states and has
the US's sixth highest GDP per capita.
Massachusetts has played a
significant historical, cultural, and commercial role in American history. Plymouth was the site of the colony
founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the Mayflower. Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest
institution of higher learning in the United States. In 1692, the towns surrounding Salem experienced one of
America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem Witch Trials. In the 18th century, the Protestant
First Great Awakening, which swept the Atlantic world, originated from the pulpit of Northampton, Massachusetts
preacher Jonathan Edwards. 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 of the United States 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. In 1786, Shays' Rebellion,
a populist revolt by Western Massachusetts farmers, led directly to the United States Constitutional Convention.
Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the temperance, transcendentalist, and
abolitionist movements. In 1837, Mount Holyoke College, the United States' first college for women, was opened
in the Connecticut River Valley town of South Hadley. In the late 19th century, the (now) 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. The state has contributed many prominent
politicians to national service, including members of the Adams family and of the Kennedy
family.
Originally dependent on fishing,
agriculture, and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial
Revolution. During the 20th century, the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. In the 21st
century, Massachusetts is a leader in higher education, health care technology, high technology, financial
services, cannabis law reform, LGBT rights, and universal healthcare.


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