Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Massachussetts Bay Colony was founded when the pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock.The name "Massachussetts" probably means "the great hill's place", and it is believed it originated from the name of an Indian tribe which lived there when the plgrims arrived.It was one of the original 13 states,and was a strong opponent of England during the Revlutionary war.Massachussetts is home to the first battles of the war, Lexington and Concord.The capitol of the state is Boston,and it was the sixth to ratify the 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", while the state flower is the mayflower. Today, Massachussetts covers an area of 8,257 square miles, and is the forty-fourth largest in the United States.