Province of Massachusetts Bay | |||||||||||||||||
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1691–1776 | |||||||||||||||||
Anthem: God Save the King (1745–1774) | |||||||||||||||||
![]() Map depicting the colonial claims related to the province | |||||||||||||||||
Capital | Boston | ||||||||||||||||
Common languages | English, French, Massachusett, Mi'kmaq | ||||||||||||||||
Religion | Congregationalism | ||||||||||||||||
Government | Self-governing colony (1691–1774) Crown colony (1774) Provisional government (1774–1780) | ||||||||||||||||
Monarch | |||||||||||||||||
• 1691–1694 | William III & Mary II | ||||||||||||||||
• 1760–1776 | George III | ||||||||||||||||
Governor | |||||||||||||||||
• 1692–1694 | Sir William Phips | ||||||||||||||||
• 1774–1775 | Thomas Gage | ||||||||||||||||
President of the Congress | |||||||||||||||||
• 1774–1775 | John Hancock | ||||||||||||||||
• 1775 | Joseph Warren | ||||||||||||||||
• 1775–1780 | James Warren | ||||||||||||||||
Legislature | Great and General Court (1691–1774) Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1780) | ||||||||||||||||
Historical era | British colonization of the Americas American Revolution | ||||||||||||||||
• Massachusetts Charter issued | October 7, 1691 | ||||||||||||||||
May 20, 1774 | |||||||||||||||||
• Provincial Congress established | October 4, 1774 | ||||||||||||||||
• Massachusetts Declaration of Independence | May 1, 1776 | ||||||||||||||||
• Massachusetts Constitution adopted | October 25, 1780 | ||||||||||||||||
Currency | Massachusetts pound, Spanish dollar, US Dollar | ||||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Canada United States |
The Province of Massachusetts Bay[1] was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and was based in the merging of several earlier British colonies in New England. The charter took effect on May 14, 1692, and included the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, the Province of Maine, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the direct successor. Maine has been a separate state since 1820, and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are now Canadian provinces, having been part of the colony only until 1697.
The name Massachusetts comes from the Massachusett Indians, an Algonquian tribe. It has been translated as "at the great hill", "at the place of large hills", or "at the range of hills", with reference to the Blue Hills and to Great Blue Hill in particular.
Wee doe by these presents Vnite Erect and Incorporate the same into one reall Province by the Name of Our Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England….