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==History==

==History==

Massachusetts was first settled by the [[Pilgrims]] who emigrated from [[England]] on the ''[[Mayflower]]'' in 1620 and founded a settlement at [[Plymouth colony|Plymouth]], and later the [[Puritans]], who founded the "Massachusetts Bay Colony".  Both groups came to America seeking religious freedom.  It was also a major center of the [[American Revolution]], as events such as the [[Boston Massacre]] and [[Boston Tea Party]] helped to create a desire for national independence among the colonists.  The first battle of the war was fought mainly in the towns of [[Lexington]] and [[Concord]].  Shortly after the war ended, the western part of the state was marked by [[Shay's Rebellion]], a major factor leading to the [[Constitutional Convention]] in 1787.  Massachusetts was also the first state to abolish slavery in 1783.

Massachusetts was first settled by the [[Pilgrims]] who emigrated from [[England]] on the ''[[Mayflower]]'' in 1620 and founded a settlement at [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]], and later the [[Puritans]], who founded the "Massachusetts Bay Colony".  Both groups came to America seeking religious freedom.  It was also a major center of the [[American Revolution]], as events such as the [[Boston Massacre]] and [[Boston Tea Party]] helped to create a desire for national independence among the colonists.  The first battle of the war was fought mainly in the towns of [[Lexington]] and [[Concord]].  Shortly after the war ended, the western part of the state was marked by [[Shay's Rebellion]], a major factor leading to the [[Constitutional Convention]] in 1787.  Massachusetts was also the first state to abolish slavery in 1783.

During the 1800s, Massachusetts was marked by increasing industrialization, including the founding of textile mills in towns such as Lowell.  Important historical figures during this time included [[Horace Mann]], an important educational reformer, and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and [[Henry David Thoreau]], two of the main contributors to the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendental]] movement.

During the 1800s, Massachusetts was marked by increasing industrialization, including the founding of textile mills in towns such as Lowell.  Important historical figures during this time included [[Horace Mann]], an important educational reformer, and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and [[Henry David Thoreau]], two of the main contributors to the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendental]] movement.