Statehood The 6th state Feb. 6, 1788 Captial Boston State Motto By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty. Origin of State Name The name is probably derived from that of an Algonquin village. State Nickname The Bay State The nickname is after Massachusetts Bay, the site of the Puritans' colony. Interesting Facts In the 1840s the potato famine drove many Irish to Massachusetts, and they eventually became the state's largest ethnic group. Harvard University, the nation's oldest college, was chartered in Cambridge in 1636. The Handel and Haydn Society, one of the nation's oldest continually performing musical groups, was formed in Boston in 1815 by Gottlieb Graupner. Among the many attractions of Boston is the Old South Meeting House, and the Old North Church, where lanterns signaled the start of Paul Revere's ride.