The northeastern Commonwealth of Massachusetts (US Postal Service - MA) is part of the New England area of the United States. Although it is small in geographic size, it has approximately 6.5 million residents, the majority of whom live in the eastern half rather than the western rural portion of the state. Massachusetts also contains the main urban area of the New England region - Boston.
Massachusetts has a rich history starting before even the beginning of the United States, and that same history has impacted the United States greatly in religious and political ways. It is known as a place of sanctuary for those with liberal worldviews and progressive ideas, and many famous individuals - primarily politicians - have hailed from Massachusetts.