Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest in Provincetown!
Subscribe to ptownie

    Provincetown History Snippet: What is The History of The Underground Railroad?

    Pilgrim Monument Provincetown
    April 17, 2020

    It may seem odd that a place like Ptown would be a stop on the Underground Railroad, the network of secret routes and safe houses established during the early to mid-19th century used by enslaved African-Americans to escape into free states and Canada. After all, we don’t exactly have a border with Canada!
     
    Well… maybe. In fact, at least three and possibly four houses in Provincetown were used as stops, because in a sense, we do have a border with Canada: the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Cod fishermen would take escaping slaves out to sea in the night, where they were met by Canadian fishermen off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and brought to safety.

    More Recent Provincetown News

    November 20, 2025. the ptownie dispatch!
    November 20, 2025
    Provincetown: Season of Sparkle From turkey trots to twinkling trees to midnight toasts by the sea, Provincetown turns Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve into one joyful, glitter-kissed celebration. The ptownie Calendar ensures you don’t miss a...