What advantages does the Colony of Massachusetts have over the other colonies?
Massachusetts was the most important northern colony, as well as an important part of New England, where many American institutions and traditions were formed. Unlike southern colonies, it was built around small towns, rather than scattered farms. When still a colony, it had become an important intellectual center, known for Harvard College and the cultural institutions of Boston. A century and a half later, Massachusetts became known as the ‘Cradle of Liberty’ for the revolutionary ferment in Boston that helped spawn the battle of the Thirteen Colonies for independence. The Massachusetts Bay Colony continued to expand its commerce and from the middle of the 17th century onward it grew prosperous, so that Boston became one of America’s greatest ports. By the late 17th century, Virginia’s and Maryland’s economic and social structure rested on the great planters and the yeoman farmers. In contrast to New England and the middle colonies, the Southern colonies were predominantly rural sett
