From time immemorial, Worcester County formed part of the territories of the Nipmuc Indians. It was their homeland which consisted of a variety of favorite hunting grounds, camping grounds, places to spend the winter, etc. With the arrival of European settlers, most Nipmuc were gradually assimilated into the mainstream and lost their separate identity.
European settlement in Worcester began in the 1670s. People like Daniel Gookin, Thomas Prentice and Daniel Henchman established themselves on land belonging to the Nipmuc Indians who exchanged the land for some money, cloth and coats, the combined value of which was about twelve pounds sterling.
Settlers in Worcester play a key role in the days of the Revolutionary War and American Industrial Revolution. It was from here that the pamphleteer Isaiah Thomas helped unite opposition to the British with his inspiring call to arms. Worcester city was active in Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787), a revolt against excessive land taxation that helped spur the creation of the Constitution of the United States. Residents were also early supporters of reform movements such as the abolition of slavery in the United States. Women’s rights too gathered momentum in Worcester with the first national women's rights convention being held in Worcester city in 1850.
The region was home to many inventers too. It was in Worcester that Charles Thurber invented the chirographer, the prototype of the typewriter, in 1840. Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in 1846. Erastus Bigelow invented the carpet loom in 1855. Robert H. Goddard developed and fired the first liquid fuel rocket in 1926.
Most of the people in Worcester County today are still whites of European descent. People of Hispanic origin constitute 6.8 per cent of the population while African Americans make up 2.7 per cent of the population. Asians constitute 2.6 per cent of the population. Worcester city is a multi-cultural place where most ethnic minorities live.
Total population: 750,963
Density: 496.3 persons/ sq. mile
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