Massachusetts is a place.
Massachusetts . It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east , the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south , New Hampshire and Vermont to the north , and New York to the west . Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade . The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a powerful commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States . In 2004 , Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court .