New England states are loaded with history and firsts - especially Massachusetts.

Massachusetts established the first park, the first to abolish slavery, the first to protest the Tea Act (shout out to the Boston Tea Party).

Read more: the oldest school in America is this Massachusetts school. 

What State Required License Plates First?

Massachusetts was the first state to issue license plates, according to a Thought Co. article.

Sure, vehicle owners in New York were making their own license plates by hand...using their Initials on some leather or metal...but Massachusetts was the first state to start issuing plates.

And their original system that started back in 1903 led the way for the future of automobile license plate systems.

The First License Plate in the USA:

The first ever license plate in America was issued in 1903 in Massachusetts to Frederick Tudor, son of the "Ice King" Frederic Tudor.

The plate number...an iconic one digit..."1".

Even cooler, according to Thought Co., the license plate remains active in Massachusetts and is still in the Tudor family.

So if you ever see a car with a "1" as a license plate driving around New England, just know that was the first ever issued plate in America.

Keep scrolling to see the coolest collections, antiques from New Hampshire