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National Massachusetts Day
Today we inaugurate a new pocket of Travalanche dedicated to U.S. States. When I began the series I doubted I would do one on every State in the Union. Now that I have done nearly 20% of them, its conceivable that completion mania may get the better of me in the end. The challenge is that there are some States about which there is too MUCH to say, and another bunch of States about which there is too LITTLE to say. I won’t insult anyone by naming those in the latter group; they are easily guessed. Massachusetts (it’s National Massachusetts Day) is among the “too much” states, as are New York and California. But there are ways.
This post leans to the historical, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the world transforming war that began in Massachusetts. Take that, you Fascist haters of the rural South and West. The American Revolution began in Massachusetts. That is why we understand it better than you do.
As it happens, all of my mother’s immigrant ancestors came to America through Massachusetts, most of them between 1620 and 1642, with a couple of notable stragglers arriving two centuries later, circa 1848, making their home for a time in Chicopee. Her direct ancestor came to Boston with the Great Immigration in 1630, and through intermarriage his descendants married descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims and other notable Puritans, the entire gene pool being somewhat restricted until the mid 19th century. That’s why I have some posh relations to brag about nearly every single day, and I ain’t a one for hiding my light under a bushel.
At any rate, here are some related posts for those who are interested (and those who aren’t can choke on it):
The Revolution
Arts and Letters
EarlyShow Business
20th Century Politics
Oh, and what the hell — Cheers.
More to follow, inevitably!
For Travalanche tributes to other American states, go here.
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