Provincetown History Snippets: What is The “Great Dying”?

May 11, 2018

History

Between 1616 and 1619, a plague struck native villages of coastal New England from Maine to Cape Cod. It killed tens of thousands of people, among them hundreds of men, women, and children from the Wampanoag Nation. The exact nature of the “Great Dying,” and how it came to Cape Cod, might never be known. There was is speculation that it came ashore when a French fishing boat was wrecked in Cape Cod Bay. The plague consumed its victims from the inside, turning skin yellow and causing it to fall off.

Click here to check out all of our Provincetown History Snippets!

More Recent Provincetown News

Mystery novel review: *I Only Read Murder*

December 8, 2024

Miranda Abbott, previously recognized for her role as a detective clergyperson on a major television series, finds herself in A Situation: a cryptic postcard calls her to a secluded town where she engages in a local theater’s amateur play. But when an...

Love in a Cold Climate: Almost Maine at the Provincetown Theater

November 23, 2024

There’s something I’d forgotten, swept up as I’ve been in the shock and fear of the last couple of weeks, when I’ve looked askance at my fellow Americans and felt I have nothing in common with many of them… and what I’d forgotten is the strength,...

November 21, 2024. the ptownie dispatch!

November 20, 2024

Provincetown transforms into a magical destination filled with events, celebrations, and unique charm. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s in Provincetown. The ptownie Calendar ensures you don’t...