37 Facts To Learn About The History of Cape Cod

Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod offers much more than beautiful weather and sunny beaches!

Cape Cod was formed at the end of the Ice Age due to the melting of glacial sheets and the subsequent lowering of the sea level and is an important part of American history.

Cape Cod lies near southeastern Massachusetts and was considered a peninsula before the building of the Cape Cod Canal in 1940. This sandy region is famous for being the first place in America where the pilgrims ever set foot.

In fact, Cape Cod was also the first place wherein the pilgrims and Native Americans clashed. The island, therefore, has rich historical significance.

One of the lesser-known facts is that there are speculations of Vikings taking a liking to Cape Cod around 1000 CE. However, such speculations are often neglected by historians due to the lack of evidence.

Historical Facts About Cape Cod

Cape Cod sure is one of the most famous tourist attractions of the world in the present day, but what most tourists miss out on is the fact that along with the sandy beaches, this place also has a rich history and provided to many early settlers.

Whether or not you want to visit the Cope Cod towns and indulge in their cultural artifacts is up to you, but these facts are sure to fascinate you either way!

• Cape Cod emerged as a tourist attraction for people who seek some time at the beach and want to enjoy a vacation away from the bustle of city life.
• The Cape Cod National Seashore is actually a national park that spans over an extensive stretch of land and will give you a glimpse of the island's culture.
• The oldest town in Cape Cod is Sandwich and it is one of the best places to visit if you want to explore the history of the fascinating place.
• The Hoxie house would be a good place to visit if you want to see how people lived in Cape Cod in the 17th century.
• It was in 1620 that the pilgrims first set foot in America and it was in none other than Provincetown, Cape Cod, that they enjoyed around a month of easy access to food and potable water.
• The fishing industry on this island is booming and you are sure to find a wide selection of fish and crustaceans to buy at the local markets. Although, a trip to Cape Cod will undeniably feel incomplete without indulging in some of the codfish which gave the island its name!
• The many islands that surround Cape Cod will also offer many resorts that you can stay at to enjoy some time alone.
• Cape Cod was named in the year 1602.
• The shape of Cape Cod resembles that of a crooked arm.
• When observing a map, Cape Cod looks like it is jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.
• It is a sandy peninsula that was named by explorer Bartholomew Gosnold.
• The name of this island comes from the abundance of codfish in the surrounding waters.
• Cape Cod includes a number of islands such as Elizabeth Islands.
• Cape Cod also has a number of private islands. One of the private islands is owned by the Forbes family.
• The private island owned by the Forbes family is named called Naushon Island.
• Cape Cod has a main island and a number of smaller surrounding islands.
• The surrounding islands include Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
• Monomoy and Monomoscoy are also islands that are included in Cape Cod's territory.
• Many early explorers stumbled across this island due to its easy accessibility.
• The building of the Cape Cod Canal made it an island.
• Cape Cod towns have functional schooling systems which include primary, elementary, and high schools.
• It used to be a peninsula that was attached to Massachusetts before the Cape Cod Canal was built.
• Martha's Vineyard was named Cabo de la Arenas by a Portuguese explorer.
• Before this, Martha's Vineyard was named Claudia after the wife of King Francis I- who was the king of France.
• One of the fascinating facts about Cape Cod is that if someone asks you to 'go down the island', they want you to go eastward.
• Going 'up the island' means going westward.
• The terminology may seem weird but it was set by the early seamen.
• The history of Cape Cod is dense with the naming and renaming of islands.
• There is a house named the Cape Cod house in New England. However, there is no real evidence of how this name came into being.
• Cape Cod is segmented into many parts, namely Upper Cape, Lower Cape, Mid-Cape, and Outer Cape.
• The coastline of Cape Cod is often covered in dense fog.
• To help captains navigate their ships in the tricky coastline of Cape Cod, lighthouses were built.
• The first lighthouse was built in the year 1797.
• This lighthouse was named Highland Light but it is popularly called the Cape Cod Light.
• The lighthouses in Cape Cod are managed by the Coast Guard of the United States of America.
• Many consider Eastham as one of the best towns in Cape town, as it has quick access to the National Seashore beaches.
• For many, especially Massachusetts locals, Falmouth is a popular tourist destination.

Early Settlers Of Cape Cod

Cape Cod has a rich history of settlements. Even though some aspects of the settlements are yet to be fully known, this place was definitely preferred by many people due to the accessibility it allowed.

• There are speculations that say that Vikings settled in Cape Cod around 1000 CE.
• Vikings, namely Leif Eriksson and Thorvald Eriksson, are said to have had some connection with the island.
• Cape Cod was initially home to the Wampanoag Native Americans.
• The Native Americans lost their rights to the land at the hands of the English settlers.
• The English settlers got the land from the initial settlers through purchase and expansion.
• Contrary to the convictions that the pilgrims first set foot in Plymouth, they actually camped at Cape Cod first.
• The pilgrims first set foot in America in Cape Cod.
• They found the island after being turned away by the shoals between Nantucket Island and Cape Cod.
• They found potable water and food in the land.
• The pilgrims had their first war with the Native Americans at Cape Cod.
• However, they eventually took to Cape Cod Bay and left the island since they found it to be too sandy to sustain a settlement.
• The pilgrims are said to have landed at the harbor in Provincetown.

Cape Cod's Timeline

Cape Cod's timeline is pretty easy to understand. Although, it must be kept in mind that some aspects of the timeline are uncertain and not backed with significant evidence.

• Cape Cod was formed 16,000-18,000 years ago due to the melting of glaciers.
• This was at the end of the Ice Age and hence, the Cape Cod peninsula is rather new.
• The fact that the shores of the island were formed in recent history is one of the many reasons why historians and geologists have been interested in this chunk of beautiful land.
• It is bound by Cape Cod Bay to the west.
• The most definite part of Cape Cod's history is that it was inhabited by Native Americans before Europeans started making their entry into America.
• The pilgrims first set foot in Cape Cod in the year 1620.
• The 19th century saw many improvements in Cape Cod's transportation system and hence, the economy also started booming.
• Cape Cod is now an ideal spot for all those that crave a beach vacation.
• Cape Cod Canal was built in 1940.