Cape Cod is described in a letter from the Italian explorerGiovanni da Verrazzano toFrancis I of France, relating the details of a voyage to the New World made on behalf of the French crown in the ship Dauphine, the only surviving of a fleet of four.[3] Sailing fromMadeira in 1524, the Dauphine made land in North Carolina in March. It sailed north to Newfoundland, mapping the coast and interviewing the natives, whom he found friendly south of the cape, but unfriendly north of it. To the north of an island that reminded Verrazzano ofRhodes, the Dauphine made its way with difficulty overshoals "never less than three feet deep" extending "from the continent fifty leagues out to sea," which Brevoort, based on their extent, has identified asNantucket Shoals.[4] Verrazzano called them Armellini. On the other side was a promontory, Pallavisino, which is probably the cape,[4] as they sailed along it for "fifty leagues." Details of the north end are not given, but subsequently they came to a "high country, full of very dense forests, composed of pines," which, according to Brevoort and others, resembles the coast of Maine.[4]
After Verrazzano, what is now the eastern United States acquired the map label ofNew France, but France had no way to develop it. Scattered colonies in the wilderness of a few dozen men could not be supported until the foundation ofQuebec in 1608. Meanwhile, the paper claim did not deter entrepreneurs. In March 1602,Bartholomew Gosnold set sail fromFalmouth, Cornwall, in the ship, Concord, transporting a crew of eight, an exploration party of 12, and 20 colonists, with the intent of establishing a trading post in the New World. Intersecting the coast of Maine, they turned to the south, encountered what appeared to be an island, and dropped anchor inProvincetown Harbor. Gosnold at first called the land Shoal Hope, but after discovering it was a cape, and acquiring a hold full of cod from the abundant schools inCape Cod Bay, he changed the name to Cape Cod.[5]
Gosnold explored the cape, establishing good relations with the natives there, approximately 1500 members of theNauset Tribe, closely related in language and custom to theWampanoag people of the mainland, and under their sovereignty.John Brereton, chaplain of the expedition, reported that they were dark-skinned, customarily nude except for deerskins over the shoulders and sealskins around the waist, and wore their long, black hair up in a knot. They painted their bodies. Some knew a few English words, which is something of a historical problem, as Gosnold and his companions are believed to have been the first English to land in America.[6] Gosnold made a point of describing how healthy the people appeared.
Subsequently, Gosnold sailed around the cape to discover an island, "full of wood, vines, gooseberry bushes, whortleberries, raspberries, eglantines, etc.," as well as large numbers of shore birds. He named itMartha's Vineyard after his daughter. Another island nearby,Cuttyhunk Island, he named Elizabeth Island, in honor ofElizabeth I of England, from which theElizabeth Islands take their name. He intended to place a trading post there, but when the time came for the return voyage, the colonists decided not to remain. Gosnold ventured a second time to the New World in 1608 asCaptain John Smith's second in command of theJamestown expedition. After three months there, he died ofmalaria.[5]
In 1603, another mercantile expedition set sail fromBristol, England, in two ships, theSpeedwell and theDiscoverer, commanded by a 23-year-old captain,Martin Pring. Elizabeth I had died two weeks earlier, but Pring had secured permission from SirWalter Raleigh, who held from the queen exploration rights to all of North America.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,306 square miles (3,380 km2), of which 394 square miles (1,020 km2) is land and 912 square miles (2,360 km2) (70%) is water.[7] It is the second largest county in Massachusetts by total area. It has about 550 miles (890 km) of shoreline.
Barnstable County is not co-extensive withCape Cod. The latter is a geophysical place defined by its insular or peninsular landmass. According to Freeman, it is a "long, irregular peninsula" between 65 and 75 mi (105 and 121 km), measured along the north or the south shores respectively, and between 5 and 20 mi (8.0 and 32.2 km) wide. Originally, only the tip was considered the cape, but as it was settled the name extended from its tip to the shortest line across the isthmus.[8] Barnstable County, on the other hand, is a geopolitical and legal entity. It is the area contained within the borders of all cities and towns defined to be in the county by theMassachusetts General Court. These borders were decided in episodes of disputed legislation during the centuries since the founding ofPlymouth Colony.[9]
The main difference between Cape Cod and Barnstable County is the band of water up to several miles wide extending from the shoreline to the outermost county border. The offshore area contains significant maritime life, is a recreational and transport medium, and contains historical material lost in shipwrecks.[10]
The highest elevation in the county is 306 feet (93 m), at the summit ofPine Hill, onJoint Base Cape Cod, in Bourne. The lowest point is sea level.
Barnstable County is one of the oldest in the country, ranking in the top ten for highest median age (among those with at least 100,000 residents). The median age is 55 years old as of 2020 (whereas the median in the U.S. is 39 years old). It is the only county in the Northeast on the list.[11]
As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 222,230 people, 94,822 households, and 61,065 families residing in the county. The population density was 562 people per square mile (217 people/km2). There were 147,083 housing units at an average density of 372 per square mile (144/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.23%White, 1.79%Black orAfrican American, 0.56%Native American, 0.63%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.11% fromother races, and 1.66% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 24.0% were ofIrish, 15.6%English, 9.4%Italian, 5.9%German and 5.0%"American" ancestry, 93.6% spoke English, 1.7%Portuguese, 1.4% Spanish and 1.0% French as their first language.
There were 94,822 households, out of which 24.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.40% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,933, and the median income for a family was $54,728. Males had a median income of $41,033 versus $30,079 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,318. About 4.60% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 215,888 people, 95,755 households, and 58,724 families residing in the county.[19] The population density was 548.3 inhabitants per square mile (211.7/km2). There were 160,281 housing units at an average density of 407.1 per square mile (157.2/km2).[20] The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 1.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 1.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population.[19] In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were Irish, 19.2% were English, 11.4% were Italian, 11.4% were American, and 9.1% were German.[21]
Of the 95,755 households, 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.7% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 49.9 years.[19]
The median income for a household in the county was $60,317 and the median income for a family was $75,056. Males had a median income of $53,480 versus $41,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,246. About 5.0% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.[22]
Population density of Barnstable County by census block (2020)[23]
Until the 1990s, Barnstable County was a stronghold of theRepublican Party. The county voted for Republican presidential candidates in every election from 1876 to 1992, with the exception of 1912 (when the Progressive candidate won the county) and 1964. It has since come to favor theDemocratic Party, supporting Democratic candidates in all presidential elections since 1992.
Despite Barnstable's safe Democratic swing federally, it remained competitive well into the 21st century, with Republicans and Democrats frequently trading control of the county council and county positions and Republicans dominating local elections. The shift of the national Republican Party, in addition to the disorganization of the state Republican Party, has allowed Democrats to slowly make inroads in the county. The onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic has been cited as an accelerant of that effect, with left-leaning remote workers moving into the county from places likeBoston andNew York City, and Barnstable County is now predominantly Democratic at the local level as well. Despite this, Barnstable still remains the Republican Party's strongest county in terms of voter registration, although, like Democrats, they are dwarfed by registered Independents.[25][26]
Barnstable County is one of the last functioning counties in Massachusetts. County government consists of a legislative branch (Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates) and an executive branch (Barnstable County Commissioners).
The Assembly of Delegates is the legislative branch of Barnstable County. There are 15 towns in Barnstable County, each town represented on the Assembly. In 1989, by an Act of theMassachusetts General Court and confirmed by most Barnstable County voters, the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter went into effect and the first session of the Assembly of Delegates convened. All legislative powers of the county are vested in the Assembly, which acts byordinance and adopts resolutions.
The Assembly of Delegates consists of 15 delegates, one representing each of the towns in Barnstable County. A delegate's vote is weighted on the basis of the population of his or her town. The town of Barnstable, for example, has the largest share of the vote, at 20.92%, and Truro has the smallest, at 0.93%.
There are three Barnstable County Commissioners, who together act as the Executive Branch of county government. Each commissioner is elected at large and serves a four-year staggered term. The commissioners direct county agencies, prepare budgets to submit to the Assembly, oversee the care of county property and finances, propose ordinances to the Assembly, and appoint the County Administrator.
Cities and towns have been legally incorporated as such under the laws of the State of Massachusetts. They include the entire territory of the state. A city may continue to name itself a town even though legally a city. Villages are subordinate to cities or towns. In addition to and not necessarily based on these legal municipalities are the arbitrary divisions of theUnited States Census Bureau. Villages are census divisions which may be used asspecial purpose municipalities or may have a greater sense of civic identity than their constituent town(s), but are not fully functioning municipal corporations. For example, the City of Barnstable has five fire districts that cover the seven villages - each village has its own fire department except that Centerville, Osterville and Marstons Mills have combined their efforts into the COMM Fire Department.
^A history of this extensive legislation through 1860 on a town-by-town basis can be found inFreeman 1862, passim
^To protect this area, Barnstable County created theCape Cod Commission, giving it control over the oceanic waters within county jurisdiction, excluding the bays, the river mouths, and theCape Cod Canal. Its final plan, completed in 2011, includes maps showing the total extent of Barnstable County, most of which is oceanic, including most ofCape Cod Bay, half of upperBuzzard's Bay, and some of the waters south of the cape."Cape Cod Ocean Management PLan"(PDF). Cape Cod Commission. October 13, 2011. p. 33. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on June 17, 2013. RetrievedDecember 5, 2012.
