Explore America and discover people, places, art, and history that connect to Massachusetts in the Smithsonian’s collections, held in trust for the American people. Massachusetts played a major role in early American history, with landmark events such as the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, the Salem witch trials, the Boston Tea Party, and the start of the American Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord. Presidents from the Bay State include John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George H. W. Bush.
The state has also been a hub of intellectual, literary, and social innovation. Founding Fathers Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock hailed from Massachusetts. Writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, Phillis Wheatley, E. E. Cummings, and Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel expanded American thought and expression. Reformers including Susan B. Anthony, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Clara Barton worked to advance civil rights, education, and public health.
Massachusetts has also contributed to science and invention. Massachusetts is home to the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. The first instant camera and the first liquid-fueled rocket were developed in the state as well as the sports of basketball and volleyball.