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The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded when the pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock. The name "Massachusetts" probably means "the great hill's place", and it is believed the term originated from the name of an Indian tribe which lived there when the pilgrims arrived. It was one of the original 13 states, and was a strong opponent of England during the American Revolutionary War. Massachusetts is home to the first battles of the war, Lexington and Concord in April 18, 1775. The capitol of the state is Boston and it was the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Greylock Mountain is the highest point in the state, towering at 3,491 feet, and the state bird is the chickadee. The nickname of the state is the "Bay State" and the state flower is the mayflower. Today, the State of Massachusetts covers an area of 8,257 square miles and is the forty-fourth largest in the United States.

Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in [[Boston]] in 1630 by the [[Puritans]].The name "Massachusetts" probably means "the great hill's place", and it is believed the term originated from the name of an Indian tribe which lived there when the Puritans arrived. The Puritans wished to set up a religious society away from [[England]]. The Puritans were members of the [[Anglican Church]] who were dissenting against the new [[Catholic]] monarchs. The Puritans were influenced by [[John Calvin]]. The colony was a [[theocracy]]. John Winthrop was one of its early leaders. The Puritans did not tolerate other religious views. [[Quakers]], [[Baptists]], [[Catholics]], and [[Jews]] were hanged in Boston. [[Roger Williams]] and [[Anne Hutchinson]] left the colony due to dissenting political beliefs, and later founded the colonies of [[Rhode Island]] and [[Connecticut]].