Watertown, Massachusetts is in the least populous state in New England.
Massachusetts -LSB- mæsəˈtʃuːsᵻts -RSB- or -LSB- ˌmæsəˈtʃuːzᵻts -RSB- ; officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States .. state. U.S. state. New England. New England. northeastern United States. northeastern United States. United States. United States. 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 .. Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic Ocean. Connecticut. Connecticut. Rhode Island. Rhode Island. New Hampshire. New Hampshire. Vermont. Vermont. New York. New York ( state ). The state is named for the Massachusett tribe , which once inhabited the area .. state. U.S. state. Massachusett. Massachusett. The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston .. Boston. Boston. New England. New England. Over 80 % of Massachusetts ' population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area , a region influential upon American history , academia , and industry .. Boston. Boston. Greater Boston. Greater Boston. history. History of the United States. academia. academia. industry. Economy of the United States. Originally dependent on agriculture , fishing and trade , Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution .. Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century , Massachusetts ' economy shifted from manufacturing to services .. Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade .. biotechnology. biotechnology. engineering. engineering. higher education. List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts. finance. finance. maritime trade. maritime history. Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England , founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims , passengers of the Mayflower .. Mayflower. Mayflower. New England. New England. Plymouth. Plymouth, Massachusetts. Pilgrims. Pilgrim Fathers. In 1692 , the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America 's most infamous cases of mass hysteria , the Salem witch trials .. Salem. Salem, Massachusetts. mass hysteria. mass hysteria. Salem witch trials. Salem witch trials. In 1777 , General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory , which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances , including interchangeable parts .. Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution. Henry Knox. Henry Knox. Springfield Armory. Springfield Armory. interchangeable parts. interchangeable parts. Springfield. Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1786 , Shays ' Rebellion , a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans , influenced the United States Constitutional Convention .. American Revolutionary War. American Revolutionary War. United States Constitutional Convention. Constitutional Convention ( United States ). United States. United States. In the 18th century , the Protestant First Great Awakening , which swept the Atlantic World , originated from the pulpit of Northampton preacher Jonathan Edwards .. First Great Awakening. First Great Awakening. Atlantic World. Atlantic World. Northampton. Northampton, Massachusetts. Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards ( theologian ). In the late 18th century , Boston became known as the `` Cradle of Liberty '' for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution .. Boston. Boston. American Revolution. American Revolution. The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a powerful commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States .. history. History of the United States. United States. United States. Before the American Civil War , Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist , temperance , and transcendentalist movements .. American Civil War. American Civil War. abolitionist. abolitionism in the United States. temperance. temperance movement. transcendentalist. transcendentalism. In the late 19th century , the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke , respectively .. basketball. basketball. volleyball. volleyball. Springfield. Springfield, Massachusetts. Holyoke. Holyoke, Massachusetts. 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 .. state. U.S. state. same-sex marriage. same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Goodridge v. Department of Public Health. Goodridge v. Department of Public Health. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state , including the Adams and Kennedy families .. state. U.S. state. Adams. Adams political family. Kennedy. Kennedy family. Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States , with the largest financial endowment of any university , and Harvard Law School has educated a contemporaneous majority of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States .. United States. United States. Harvard University. Harvard University. Cambridge. Cambridge, Massachusetts. higher learning in the United States. colonial colleges. financial endowment. financial endowment. Harvard Law School. Harvard Law School. Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court of the United States. Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called `` the most innovative square mile on the planet '' , in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010 .. Cambridge. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Kendall Square. Kendall Square. entrepreneurial. entrepreneurship. start-ups. startup company. Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , also in Cambridge , have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world .. Harvard University. Harvard University. Cambridge. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Massachusetts ' public school students place among the top nations in the world in academic performance .