The ULTIMATE 50 STATES survey: The BEST U.S. state

[S019]

New Jersey

[Battista Minola 1616]

Massachusetts, but it peaked in the 18th century.

MA has actually improved significantly over time. It started out as a place run by insane religious fanatics who literally executed people for holding different beliefs or "practicing witchcraft," among other backwards and heinous practices.

Yeah, it's truly horrible what Catholic immigration can do to a place

Like transform a boring carbon copy of your state into somewhere actually interesting (Louisiana)?

[F. Joe Haydn]

Massachusetts, but it peaked in the 18th century.

MA has actually improved significantly over time. It started out as a place run by insane religious fanatics who literally executed people for holding different beliefs or "practicing witchcraft," among other backwards and heinous practices.

That's certainly one view of the Puritans that exists in the popular imagination, but not one I or most scholars would agree with. Yes the witch trials were bad, but the good they did for the cause of liberty far outweighs the bad. Simply put, Massachusetts Bay was the most democratic colony (later state) in America. Its elections were fair and often, its legislatures were filled with as many small farmers as rich merchants, and its land was distributed fairly equally among the population. This was in stark contrast to the American South, a strict top-down hierarchical society dominated by aristocratic large plantation owners. It's always struck me as ironic that the Jeffersonian vision of an agrarian republic of virtuous small farmers was best realized in rural New England, typified by farmer's sons of modest stock like John Adams, while it was perhaps worst realized in his own state of Virginia, home to planter elites like Jefferson himself.

Now, why do I say Massachusetts peaked in the 18th century? That was when the city-state of Boston was at its height, a mercantile powerhouse largely able to pursue an independent course within both the British Empire and the United States. It was a time when Massachusetts was a hotbed of rebellion against tyranny, be it in the form of King George III or the slave power. The Puritan ethos of resistance was still alive and well in the state when men dressed as Indians dumped tons of British tea into the Boston Harbor. So was it when Daniel Shays and his farmers took up arms against oppressive taxes. But at some point in the 19th century, that changed. As much as I hate to admit it, the Puritan spirit of the state was lost and replaced by a sort of entrenched conservatism, the very thing Massachusetts was founded in opposition to. It's debatable when the change happened, but that it happened is undeniable. The book review I linked to marks 1854 as the end of Boston, the year it failed to protect Anthony Burns from slave catchers, while the book itself places the end date at 1865. Regardless of the exact date, it is a great American tragedy that Massachusetts became the very thing it had fought to destroy.

Massachusetts, but it peaked in the 18th century.

MA has actually improved significantly over time. It started out as a place run by insane religious fanatics who literally executed people for holding different beliefs or "practicing witchcraft," among other backwards and heinous practices.

Yeah, it's truly horrible what Catholic immigration can do to a place

For many years Massachusetts was arguably the most racially progressive place in America. In 1783 it was one of the first states to abolish slavery. In the 19th century, Boston was the leading centre of the abolitionist movement. But by the 20th century, the city had gained a reputation for notorious racism against black people. The major demographic change that had occurred in these years, of course, was massive Irish immigration. As has been described by North Carolina Yankee in our historical discussions, the urban Irish were drawn to the racist appeals of the Democratic Party. Given this, I think it is highly likely that the immigration of Irish people was largely responsible for the increase of anti-black racism in Boston. That's not to say that nativist campaigns against the Irish were justified, of course, often being based upon racism themselves. But it is to say that Catholic immigration had a definite effect on the place, and not an altogether positive one.

[JA]

Like I stated in the "the WORST U.S. state" poll thread, all states have good and bad qualities, to varying degrees. But, the best, in my opinion, is Massachusetts. I'll add that my top 5 favorites are probably...

1. Massachusetts
2. Washington
3. Oregon
4. Colorado
5. Vermont

[Samof94]

Washington state

[Lechasseur]

Michigan

[SN2903]

Florida

[LAKISYLVANIA]

In this order

1. Vermont
2. Maine
3. New Hampshire
4. Minnesota
5. Oregon
6. Rhode Island
7. Colorado
8. Michigan
9. Massachussets
10. Alaska
11. Wisconsin
12. Iowa
13. Texas
14. Washington
15. Montana
16. Nevada
17. Ohio
18. New Mexico
19. West Virginia
20. Kansas
21. North Dakota
22. New York
23. Connecticut
24. Pennsylvania
25. Arizona
26. Florida
27. North Carolina
28. Kentucky
29. Hawaii
30. California
31. New Jersey
32. Tennessee
33. South Dakota
34. Idaho
35. Indiana
36. Nebraska
37. Louisiana
38. Delaware
39. Illinois
40. Georgia
41. Utah
42. Oklahoma
43. Maryland
44. Missouri
45. Alabama
46. Wyoming
47. Arkansas
48. Virginia
49. South Carolina
50. Mississippi

[°Leprechaun]

Hawaii, for one obvious reason (although I've never been there).

[OSR stands with Israel]

Texas, my home state.

Texas definitely enhanced its reputation over the last decade.

So glad Texas' image is now divorced to some degree from that gung-ho cowboy GWB.

Remember when the USA used to have another hate figure than Trump?
DER SPIEGEL, one of Europe's biggest and most influential news magazine, regularly made fun of Bush's heritage (which most European's don't know isn't his genuine heritage) and linked it to his hawkish war policy.


Bush at least seemed to pretend to be amused at one of the SPIEGEL covers:

George W Bush is easily one of the coolest presidents

[Xing]

I'm biased, but of course, Washington. It's chalk full of natural beauty, even in its cities, it has a great deal of diversity in its locations (big cities, medium cities, small towns, farms, mountains, islands, etc.), the climate isn't great overall, but the summers here are absolutely beautiful.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

Copying Laki.

Greatest place on earth:
1. California

Top tier:
2. New York
3. Washington
4. Hawaii
5. Oregon
(District of Columbia)
6. Virginia
7. Pennsylvania
8. Maryland
9. Massachusetts
10. Utah

I strongly approve:
11. New Jersey
12. Arizona
13. Connecticut
14. Georgia
15. Colorado
16. Wisconsin
17. Minnesota
18. Texas

I approve:
19. Florida
20. Illinois
21. New Hampshire
22. South Carolina
23. Delaware
24. Maine
25. North Carolina
26. Michigan
27. Alaska
28. Vermont
29. Rhode Island
30. Montana

Mixed Feelings:
31. New Mexico
32. Wyoming
33. Kansas
34. Nebraska
35. Idaho

I disapprove:
36. Ohio
37. Indiana
38. Iowa
39. Missouri
40. Alabama
41. South Dakota
42. North Dakota
43. Tennessee
44. West Virginia
45. Kentucky

I strongly disapprove:
46. Oklahoma
47. Louisiana
48. Arkansas
49. Nevada
50. Mississippi

[OSR stands with Israel]

Copying Laki.

Greatest place on earth:
1. California

Top tier:
2. New York
3. Washington
4. Hawaii
5. Oregon

Disappointed in you having Oregon 5th instead of 1st

[Santander]

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Oklahoma seems a bit random in my eyes.

[John Dule]

Good wins the electoral college but loses the popular vote.

[Chips]

I'll do what Laki did and just rank the states.

Blue = good state
Red = bad state

1. Ohio
2. Pennsylvania
3. Indiana
4. Kentucky
5. West Virginia
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Illinois
11. South Carolina
12. Colorado
13. Maine
14. New Hampshire
15. New York
16. Minnesota
17. Tennessee
18. Vermont
19. Connecticut
20. Delaware
21. New Jersey
22. Texas
23. Louisiana
24. California
25. Washington
26. Rhode Island
27. Maryland
28. Virginia
29. Idaho
30. Wyoming
31. Nevada
32. New Mexico
33. Oregon
34. South Dakota
35. Montana
36. Missouri
37. Massachusetts
38. North Dakota
39. Alaska
40. Hawaii
41. Georgia
42. Arizona
43. Arkansas
44. Mississippi
45. Alabama
46. Nebraska
47. Kansas
48. Oklahoma
49. Wyoming
50. Michigan

[Santander]

Oklahoma seems a bit random in my eyes.

I'm affiliated with OU.

[Goldwater]

I'll do what Laki did and just rank the states.

Blue = good state
Red = bad state

1. Ohio
2. Pennsylvania
3. Indiana
4. Kentucky
5. West Virginia
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Illinois
11. South Carolina
12. Colorado
13. Maine
14. New Hampshire
15. New York
16. Minnesota
17. Tennessee
18. Vermont
19. Connecticut
20. Delaware
21. New Jersey
22. Texas
23. Louisiana
24. California
25. Washington
26. Rhode Island
27. Maryland
28. Virginia
29. Idaho
30. Wyoming
31. Nevada
32. New Mexico
33. Oregon
34. South Dakota
35. Montana
36. Missouri
37. Massachusetts
38. North Dakota
39. Alaska
40. Hawaii
41. Georgia
42. Arizona
43. Arkansas
44. Mississippi
45. Alabama
46. Nebraska
47. Kansas
48. Oklahoma
49. Wyoming
50. Michigan

What did Michigan do?

[Chips]

I'll do what Laki did and just rank the states.

Blue = good state
Red = bad state

1. Ohio
2. Pennsylvania
3. Indiana
4. Kentucky
5. West Virginia
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Illinois
11. South Carolina
12. Colorado
13. Maine
14. New Hampshire
15. New York
16. Minnesota
17. Tennessee
18. Vermont
19. Connecticut
20. Delaware
21. New Jersey
22. Texas
23. Louisiana
24. California
25. Washington
26. Rhode Island
27. Maryland
28. Virginia
29. Idaho
30. Wyoming
31. Nevada
32. New Mexico
33. Oregon
34. South Dakota
35. Montana
36. Missouri
37. Massachusetts
38. North Dakota
39. Alaska
40. Hawaii
41. Georgia
42. Arizona
43. Arkansas
44. Mississippi
45. Alabama
46. Nebraska
47. Kansas
48. Oklahoma
49. Wyoming
50. Michigan

What did Michigan do?

I'm from Ohio so I have to dislike Michigan.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

What did Michigan do?

I'm from Ohio so I have to dislike Michigan.

I heard you've been having a feud with Michigan for over ten years now.

[TDAS04]

Favorites:
1. Washington
2. Oregon
3. Colorado
4. Minnesota
5. Maine


Least favorites:
1. Mississippi
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Arkansas
7. Nevada

[It’s so Joever]

Without politics involved:

https://www.yapms.com/app/?m=5nwq



With politics involved:

https://www.yapms.com/app/?m=5nwy

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

All-encompassing: politics, weather, cost of living, etc:

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Never had I thought that California is so much more popular than New York. 😦