Cape Cod: Its People and Their History

First published in 1930 this classic account based on careful research and exhaustive study of all available sources brings to life all the turbulent excitement of Cape Cods historic past. From Bartholomew Gosnolds voyage – “he sailed from Falmouth in the spring of 1602 ” reports Kittredge “with the object of founding a colony in some agreeable spot preferably where gold was abundant” – to the opening of the canal in 1914 the author provides a vivid account of the triumphs and vicissitudes of the Cape Codders. Utilizing anecdote and candid portraiture he unfolds the history from the Colonial period through the revolutionary and civil wars giving particular attention to the fishing and maritime industries which have so sustained the Cape over the years. This is a vibrant history told with a verve and dash by a writer whose scholarship is exceeded only by his ability to communicate the flavor of Cape Cods tumultuous past. In 1968 the second edition of Mr. Kittredges book was issued. The central text remained the same but a post-epilogue by John Hay who loves the Cape on which he lives and who knew Mr. Kittredge well provided a new section bringing forward the story to more modern times. It is this edition that is reproduced here. — from books back cover