All About Massachusetts
To the first colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Company, their arrival near the site of modern Salem in 1630 marked a crucial moment in history. Puritans who had decided to leave England before it was engulfed by civil war, saw their purpose, in the words of Governor John Winthrop, as the establishment of a Utopian '' City upon a hill .'' Their new colony of Massachusetts was to be a beacon to the rest of humanity, an exemplar of sober government along sound spiritual principles. Not all those who followed, however, shared the same motivation; the story is often told of the preacher who told his congregation that they had come to New England to build a new kingdom of God, only to be challenged by a vociferous parishioner who said he had come to fish.
In their own terms, the Puritans were not successful: as waves of immigration brought all kinds of dissenters and free-thinkers from Europe, society in New England inevitably became secular. However, their influence remained. A clarity of thought and forcefulness of purpose can be traced from the foundation of Harvard College in 1636, through the intellectual impetus behind the Revolution and the crusade against slavery, to the nineteenth-century achievements of writers such as Melville, Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau.
Other traditions, too, have helped shape the state - poor migrants from Ireland and Italy, freed and escaped slaves from the Southern states, Portuguese seamen - even if they have not always been welcome. The anti-immigrant ''Know-Nothing'' party of the 1850s acquired considerable public support; in 1927, the Italian anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti came up against conservative old Massachusetts, and were framed and executed on murder charges. As recently as the 1970s, Boston experienced racial conflicts that matched the bitterness of those erupting throughout the nation. This has been somewhat healed of late, as have any economic doldrums that plagued the city for the latter half of the century, and a new sense of confidence - so emblematic of Boston's storied past - has taken hold.
Boston is East Coast America at its best, and spending a few days there is strongly recommended. It's a place that isn't content to rest on its laurels - the history is visible, but there's a great deal of modern life and energy besides, thanks in part to the presence of Cambridge, the home of Harvard University, just across the river. Several further historic towns are within easy reach - Salem to the north, Concord and Lexington just inland, and Plymouth to the south. Provincetown, a three-hour ferry ride across the bay at the tip of Cape Cod, is great fun to visit, and the rest of the Cape offers historic towns, lovely beaches - and huge crowds. Except for a handful of college towns such as Amherst, inland Massachusetts is much quieter; its settlements are naturally concentrated where the land is fertile, such as along the Connecticut River valley and in the Berkshires to the west.
With the single proviso that all roads in Massachusetts seem to lead to Boston, this is an easy state to tour on public transportation . Planes, trains and buses all radiate out from the one great city; the connections to Cape Cod in particular are legion. The Amtrak line that connects Boston with New York, Philadelphia and Washington is the best regional train service in the nation, and the east-west line via Worcester and Springfield gives access to Montréal, Toronto and Chicago. With the exception of local commuter lines, trains do not, however, continue north of Boston. The only service along the coast is the summer-only service south to Hyannis on Cape Cod. Buses from Boston are also plentiful, but the only major north-south route inland is Route 91 along the Connecticut River valley.
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Massachusetts Hotels Briefs
Resolved Question: Hotel Minimum Check in Age 18?
I am looking for hotels in or around Foxboro, Massachusetts. I will be 20 in august, and my boyfriend is going to be 21 a week after our trip. Any hotels with a minimum check in age of 18, within the area?
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Resolved Question: Wheres the best semi-remote place to go on a romantic vacation in January?
A nice scenic place, within driving distance of an airport, and nice hotel in the United States. Living in Massachusetts, id like it to be at least far enough away to where id have to fly, but no neccessarily a hot location
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Resolved Question: What do you think my dream means?
I had a dream last night where I was in Massachusetts. Also with me was a girl I kind of know, we were both bridesmaids in a mutual friend's wedding. Her fiance was there, except he wasn't her fiance, he was an ex of mine. We were all vacationing together with the guy I'm dating and my mother as well. We were on the balcony of our hotel room and around a corner were these HUGE yellow and orange rattlesnakes. I knew they were rattlesnakes somehow, and saw the rattler. They were the size of boa constrictors. One of them went after my dog, except instead of biting him, the venom was just draining out of it's mouth and my dog was licking it up and I was trying to keep him from doing it.
I had to take him to a vet and I was driving all around trying to find a vet because it was Christmas eve and couldn't get a hold of any. I finally got a vet on the phone, and then I woke up.
It left me feeling really bothered. Normally I don't remember dreams. I think part of it may have to do with the fact that I had to put my horse to sleep yesterday. Interpretations?
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Resolved Question: im 14 i need a place to stay over night?
Hi, im 14 soon to be 15 and im going to Seattle to do mountain climbing lessons... I live in massachusetts, and I need a place to sleep overnight because you have to 18 years old to check into a hotel amd ill be on my own is there any loop holes or could I stay in a motel or anything ?please help!
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Resolved Question: Are there any cheap extended stay or weekly stay hotels or motels in Massachusetts?
I live in South Dakota and I want to return to my home state of Massachusetts in few months or so. I have bad credit and no job set up in advance, but I'll have a good bit of money saved up. I did the same thing when I came out here and I stayed in a motel called Value Place and it only cost me $179 a week. But Mass doesn't have one of those. I figured maybe someone knew of something similar out there,
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Resolved Question: great oceanfront hotels massachusetts?
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Resolved Question: How much money will I need to stay in New York for 3 days?
I am planning a 3 day trip to New York in August I am coming from Boston with my mother and 5 year old daughter. I plan to move to NYC in December to attend Brooklyn College. So I am thinking of visiting the children's museum and Brooklyn College as well as Harlem and Brooklyn.
How much money will I need to stay in New York for 3 days
Can you also give me ideas of an okay place to stay (hotel/motel) for cheap for the 3 of us. I think we might stay form Thursday-Sun.
Can you give me some great places to visit and go eat (in Brooklyn and Harlem) that are not too costly.
Can you locate me to a supermarket near any hotel/motel or within the Brooklyn and Harlem area?
I do not know much about NYC at all. I have lived in Massachusetts for 23 years and this will be the first time that I step foot outside of my state. We will take the Chinese bus from Boston.
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Resolved Question: New York Questions for a newcomer?
I am planning a 3 day trip to New York in August I am coming from Boston with my mother and 5 year old daughter. I plan to move to NYC in December to attend Brooklyn College. So I am thinking of visiting the children's museum and Brooklyn College as well as Harlem and Brooklyn.
Can you give me a great place to stay (hotel/motel) for cheap for the 3 of us. I think we might stay form Thursday-Sun.
Can you give me some great places to visit and go eat (in Brooklyn and Harlem) that are not too costly.
Can you locate me to a supermarket near any hotel/motel or within the Brooklyn and Harlem area?
I do not know much about NYC at all. I have lived in Massachusetts for 23 years and this will be the first time that I step foot outside of my state. We will take the Chinese bus from Boston.
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Voting Question: potential relationship or just a week long hook-up?
i'm in west palm beach with my family and family friends for the week here in Jupiter Beach. i went down to the beach today just to hang out and saw this girl laying down by herself and she saw me too. we kinda eyed each other out and a couple minutes later i went over and said hello. we started talking and she seemed interested in me and she gave me her cell number and said to call her to do something later. that night at like 7 i called and asked if she wanted to get something to eat at the hotel resturaunt. after we ate we went for a walk and decided to go swimming. it was dark and nobody was out only us. we swam for a while and she was laughing and having a good time. as we were winding down we drifter toward the side of the pool. i told her i had a fun day with hwr. we got quiet and were just kinda lookin into each others eyes and i went in for a kiss. she responded well so i went in for another, longer one. we finished the kiss and got out of the pool and i walked her to h her room. i gave her a kiss good night and told her i'd text her in the morning (that morning being today) today we hung out at the beach and whatnot, we kissed again, a little more intimate this time though. and that brings us to now, where the thought just popped into my head about how we're going to make this work seeing i live on Long Island, New York and she lives in Massachusetts. i really like her but if a relationship is going to be hard to keep over a distance, idk what we should do. i'd really hate to let her go, she's so sweet and damn cute. we're both 16 and cant drive so we have no way of getting to each other. should we make this a week long hook up? or try for a distanced relationship, and if so, idk how we can do it so help is appreciated. no BS answers please, i dont have long here.
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Resolved Question: how to tell if my situation WILL or SHOULD just a week long hook up or a potential relationship?
i'm in west palm beach with my family and family friends for the week here in Jupiter Beach. i went down to the beach today just to hang out and saw this girl laying down by herself and she saw me too. we kinda eyed each other out and a couple minutes later i went over and said hello. we started talking and she seemed interested in me and she gave me her cell number and said to call her to do something later. that night at like 7 i called and asked if she wanted to get something to eat at the hotel resturaunt. after we ate we went for a walk and decided to go swimming. it was dark and nobody was out only us. we swam for a while and she was laughing and having a good time. as we were winding down we drifter toward the side of the pool. i told her i had a fun day with hwr. we got quiet and were just kinda lookin into each others eyes and i went in for a kiss. she responded well so i went in for another, longer one. we finished the kiss and got out of the pool and i walked her to h her room. i gave her a kiss good night and told her i'd text her in the morning (that morning being today) today we hung out at the beach and whatnot, we kissed again, a little more intimate this time though. and that brings us to now, where the thought just popped into my head about how we're going to make this work seeing i live on Long Island, New York and she lives in Massachusetts. i really like her but if a relationship is going to be hard to keep over a distance, idk what we should do. i'd really hate to let her go, she's so sweet and damn cute. we're both 16 and cant drive so we have no way of getting to each other. should we make this a week long hook up? or try for a distanced relationship, and if so, idk how we can do it so help is appreciated. no BS answers please, i dont have long here.
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