Scope and Content: As record keeper for the Commonwealth, the state secretary has responsibility for administration of elections, maintenance of public records, filing and distribution of regulations and public documents, corporate registration, lobbying agent registration, recording of appointments and commissions, storage of historical data, preservation of historic sites, administration and enforcement of the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act, information and referral on all aspects of state government, and until 1990, administration of the state decennial census.  Chief legal counsel and staff advise the state secretary on legal aspects of all responsibilities of the secretary’s office and propose/testify for legislation favorable to its goals.  Series is created to inform the secretary and staff of relevant court decisions, opinions, and issues. –See also: Legal counsel’s administrative files ((M-Ar)120), Secretary’s administrative files ((M-Ar)119), and: Secretary’s subject files ((M-Ar)2024)
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by subject, thereunder chronologically by year
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Scope and Content: In fulfilling responsibility as record keeper for the Commonwealth, the state secretary receives filings of leases, deeds, compacts, and agreements from various public and private agencies within the state and from other states. –For transcripts, 1629-1891, see: Transcripts of treaties, contracts, and other public records ((M-Ar)123X)
Arrangement:  In five subseries: (1) Leases (2) Deeds (3) Compacts (4) Agreements (5) Miscellaneous; Arranged within each subseries chronologically
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 66-67, 80, 93
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Scope and Content: Per St 1981, c 383, “Massachusetts,” words and music by Arlo Guthrie, was declared the folk song of the Commonwealth.  Prior to this designation, the General Court requested the state secretary to assign the song royalty-free status, administered through this series.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: The Secretary of the Commonwealth proposes legislation to the General Court and also, through the office’s legislative director, monitors progress of other legislation introduced in the General Court that is relevant to the secretary’s responsibilities and functions, resulting in these files. They contain copies of bills in various stages, comments by staff, accounts of public hearings and committee testimony, and correspondence.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by legislative session, thereunder by House/Senate bill no
Notes: Contents: Box 1-2. 1999-2000. Box 3-4. 2001-2002. Box 5-7. 2003- 2004. Box 8-14. 2005-2006. Box 15-18. 2007-2008. Box 19-26. 2009- 2010. Box 27-35. 2011-2012. Box 36-41. 2013-2014
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Scope and Content: Until 1861, the royal secretary (from 1691), the secretary of the colony (from 1775), or the state secretary (from 1780), served not only as the recordkeeper of Massachusetts government, but acted as the governor’s personal secretary, and, to 1780, as clerk of the Council and the legislature. Series was created to administer correspondence for the governor, lieutenant governor, and the secretary himself, as well as the Council (v. 5-7) and the General Court’s House of Representatives (v. 3-4).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Volume list: (1) 1701-1763  (2) 1755-1762 (2A–formerly 2 3/4) 1763-1773  (3) 1764-1774  (4) 1765-1773  (5) 1775-1777  (6) 1775- 1777  (7) 1776-1780  (8) 1780-1788  (9) 1780-1808  (10) 1785-1794 (11) 1790-1820  (12) 1790-1829  (13) 1825-1833  (14) 1825-1833 (15) 1833-1872
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to RS 1836, c 54 (repealed by St 1838, c 38), any inhabitant of Massachusetts who destroyed within town or district limits any wolf (St 1782, c 39) or wild cat, bear, or fox (St 1835, c 112), and who proved this to the town selectmen by burning or destroying the ears of the animal in selectmen’s presence would receive a certificate of entitlement to a sum from the local treasurer.  Certificate of such payment signed by the local treasurer was submitted to the state treasurer, who in turn applied to the governor and council for a warrant to allow reimbursement to the locality.  The state secretary documented operation of the law by maintaining lists of towns and number and type of animals destroyed there.
Arrangement: Arranged by county, thereunder alphabetically by municipality
Notes: Collated: 1837. Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 56
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Scope and Content: The British Parliament authorized the appointment of commissioners to negotiate with the Continental Congress in order to deter an alliance between the American colonies and France.  Although they did not obtain a hearing from Congress, three of them (the Earl of Carlisle, Sir Henry Clinton, William Eden) issued this document to Congress, the colonial assemblies (that of Massachusetts among them), and the general public on Oct. 3, 1778, promising pardon to those withdrawing from the rebellion by Nov. 11.
Restrictions: Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: In keeping with traditions established in the colonial period, the state secretary is custodian of foundation records of the Commonwealth, including this series. Printed broadside with seals of signatories. Evans 15832
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Scope and Content: Maps have been collected by the state secretary by legislative directive or on account of historical value.  Items are manuscript or printed, on various materials.
Notes: Between 1886 and 1891 all maps in the Archives collection were numbered chronologically.  Some numbered maps were stored with and described as part of existing series.  Other maps relating to existing series (e.g., boundary commissions) were physically removed from them.  These and other maps were bound between 1886 and 1891 into 69 volumes known as: Third series; oversize maps were stored loose on rollers and were known as: Numbered series.  Maps previously bound into a five-volume set entitled: Ancient plans, grants were transferred to the new volumes.  Maps acquired through 1900 were grouped in a new sequence by date, although continuing the previous numbering sequence; after 1900 maps were simply numbered as they were accessioned.  Some maps acquired after 1891 were interleaved in the original 69 volumes, but most were left unbound.  A bound volume showing the 1899 boundary line between Massachusetts and Rhode Island was marked as v. 70 at a later date, and in the 1950s several maps were put into two volumes marked v. 71 and 72.  Third series and: Numbered series were combined in 1989 to form: Maps and plans.  The practice of numbering maps accessioned as a whole or substantial part of another series was discontinued in 1986.  But generally individual maps accessioned even with private provenance may still be numbered and shelved as part of this series. Map numbering omits 3100-3999.
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Scope and Content: The Historical Records Survey was established in Massachusetts in 1936 as a part of the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). One of many federal government-sponsored projects created to provide employment to white-collar workers during the Depression, the survey employed clerical workers and professionals to inventory unpublished records and documents in public and private archives across the nation. The Historical Records Survey was federally funded and directed until Aug.1939, when federal law required state administrative sponsorship and greater financial responsibility for the projects. The Massachusetts state secretary was sponsor with the WPA, now renamed the Work Projects Administration. Lack of funding and the need to staff war projects led to the discontinuation of the survey in 1942. –In Massachusetts, the Historical Records Survey undertook, among other projects, an inventory of early American portraits located in the state. Physical surveys, mailings, and other correspondence were used to identify and locate potential portraits, with forms or cards used to compile information. Massachusetts was initially surveyed for portraits through 1800, but eventually through 1825, by 1937. An initial two-volume catalog, American portraits, 1620-1825, found in Massachusetts (Boston, Mass. :  Historical Records Survey, 1939) (alpha by sitter) was published May 1939. Subsequent dates for data collection were eventually extended through 1860, but the planned supplementary third volume was never published. –By Aug.1937, the Massachusetts team was called to coordinate the portrait survey in other New England states and New York, to produce state checklists and catalogs, to be distributed to a limited number of major public libraries and historical societies repositories. State projects included: Connecticut (preliminary checklist, work discontinued in 1940); Maine: preliminary catalog: American portraits, 1645-1850, found in the state of Maine (Boston, Mass. : Historical Records Survey, 1941), published Nov. 1941, work on final volume  extended to 1860 in 1942; New Hampshire: preliminary check list to 1850 distributed Dec. 1941, extended to 1860 in 1942; New York: preliminary check list to 1840 as of 1942; Rhode Island: preliminary checklist distributed 1941, revisions undertaken in 1942, extended to 1835; Vermont: initial checklist to 1825, to 1860 by 1940, records returned to Vermont, Jan. 1941.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (I) Project files  (II) Survey files ; arranged within each subseries by state
Notes: The Massachusetts office was closed July 20, 1942, and materials were deposited with the Forbes Library in Northampton. Transferred to the State Library in 1972 and to the Massachusetts Archives in 1980. While in State Library custody series was microfilmed for the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution (reels 1238- 1249–see (OCoLC)86118609) –Photographs (subseries I, box 5) separated during original processing
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Arrangement: Vols. arranged by topic, thereunder generally chronologically
Restrictions: Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: Vols. 15, 19, 38, 94-98 each bound in two, designated: A, B. Vol. 34 bound as portfolio.  Vols. 99, 192 each bound in two.  Vols. 280-281 boxed in five
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