Is a historic peninsula in southeast Massachusetts, the nexus of some of America's earliest European settlements and still one of the most popular vacation spots in New England. While modern–day residents and visitors flock to the Cape's beaches for recreation and leisure, the sea was a far more serious matter for early explorers and settlers. From the Vikings to the Pilgrims, from brave native fishermen to bold European explorers, countless men have found their fortunes along the shores of Cape Cod. Though some argue that Viking explorer Thorvald cast ashore as early as 1004, it is generally agreed that European exploration of the cape began in 1602, when Bartholomew Gosnold sailed from Falmouth, England, anchoring at what is now Provincetown. It was Gosnold who named the peninsula, dubbing it "Cape Cod" for the bountiful quantities of that particular fish that he and his crew were able to catch. In 1605 and 1606, the great French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the shores of the Cape during a voyage for the king of France. An encounter with the local Wampanoag tribe resulted in a bloody skirmish, with a number of deaths on both sides. Despite several European visits, a permanent settlement was not established until 1620, when 101 Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England, aboard the Mayflower. The Pilgrims spent two months at sea before finally spotting land; though they had struck land well to the north of their intended settlement, the Pilgrims were weary from a rough passage and, with winter fast approaching, they laid anchor at Provincetown on November 21. Just before setting foot on the new continent, they drew up the Mayflower Compact, the first American document to establish self-governance. Shortly thereafter, a small party led by Captain Myles Standish set out to find a suitable site for settlement. After several weeks of exploration in the wilderness, Plymouth was chosen and a colony was established under Governor William Bradford. Within a few decades, settlements had been established along the Cape at Sandwich, Barnstable, and Yarmouth, all of which abutted an old Indian trail that is now Route 6A.
Early settlers learned the discipline of whaling from local Wampanoag Indians, who had centuries of experience hunting the aquatic mammal. By the middle of the 18th centuries, whaling had grown into a major industry, with the ports of Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown operating at the fore of the industry well into the 19th century. Though the ports of New Bedford and Nantucket outpaced Cape Cod as centers of whaling in later decades, the region's economy eventually recovered due to a growth in tourism. The first train service from Boston to the Cape began operations in 1848, its tracks eventually stretching all the way to Provincetown. More than 150 years later, tourism remains Cape Cod's staple industry, as millions of visitors are attracted each year to the region's storied shores.
The greater accessibility afforded by the new railways prompted an influx of writers and artists in the early 20th century, and after Charles W. Hawthorne opened the Cape Cod School of Art in 1899 an artists' colony took shape in Provincetown. As the population of painters, artists, thespians and writers grew several art schools and repertory companies were established in the area. Notable among the many theatre groups were the Provincetown Players, started by a number of young writers, and the Barnstable Comedy Club, which featured Kurt Vonnegut as both an actor and writer in the 1950s and 1960s. Now known as Falmouth Playhouse, the University Players Guild once numbered Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney and Orson Welles among its ranks.
In 1914, the famous Cape Cod Canal was built for the purpose of linking the bay to the sound, but due to a faulty design it had to be rebuilt by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1928. The federal government erected three bridges over the canal in the 1930s, and the construction of the Mid Cape Highway (U.S. 6) in the 1950s stimulated much further growth. President John F. Kennedy, a summer resident of Hyannis, signed legislation to establish the Cape Cod National Seashore in 1961.
While tourism, construction and light industry are the staples of the Cape's modern economy, the early occupations of fishing and agriculture have not disappeared. With over 100 farms across the Cape and a fishing industry that brings in $25 million a year, Cape Cod's traditional industries are alive and well. And for those who come to enjoy the historic sites, close-knit rural atmosphere, and natural splendor of Cape Cod, there is much to discover along our shores.