Everything about Plymouth Massachusetts totally explained
Plymouth (historically known as
Plimouth and
Plimoth) is a town in
Plymouth County,
Massachusetts,
United States. It is the largest municipality in Massachusetts by area. The population was 51,701 at the
2000 census, with an estimated 2008 population of 58,379. Plymouth is one of two
county seats of
Plymouth County, the other being
Brockton. It is named after
Plymouth,
Devon,
United Kingdom, which is, in turn, named for the mouth of the
river Plym.
Plymouth is best known for being the landing site of the
Mayflower and the
Pilgrims. Founded in 1620, Plymouth is the oldest municipality in
New England and one of the oldest in the United States. It also is the
second permanent English settlement in the modern United States, preceded by
Jamestown. The town has served as the location of several prominent events, the most notable being the
First Thanksgiving feast. Plymouth served as the capital of
Plymouth Colony from its founding in 1620 until the colony's dissolution in 1691.
Plymouth is located approximately 40
miles (63.4
kilometers) south of
Boston in a region of Massachusetts known as the
South Shore. Throughout the 19th century, the town thrived as a center of ropemaking, fishing, and shipping, and once held the world's largest ropemaking company, the
Plymouth Cordage Company. While it continues to be an active port, today the major industry of Plymouth is tourism. Plymouth is served by
Plymouth Municipal Airport, and contains
Pilgrim Hall Museum, the oldest continually operating museum in the United States.
As one of the country's first settlements, Plymouth is well-known in the United States for its historical value. The events surrounding the history of Plymouth have become part of the
mythology of the United States, particularly those relating to
Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving.
History
Colonial era
Plymouth has played an important role in American colonial history. It was the final landing site of the first voyage of the
Mayflower, and the location of the original settlement of the
Plymouth Colony. Plymouth was established in 1620 by the English settlers known as
separatists who had broken away from the
Church of England, believing that the Church hadn't completed the work of the
Protestant Reformation. Today, these settlers are much better known as "
Pilgrims," a term coined by
William Bradford.
The Mayflower first anchored in what would become the harbor of
Provincetown, Massachusetts on
November 11,
1620. The ship was headed for a location at the mouth of the
Hudson River, but violent storms threw the ship off course and caused it to reach
New England. The Pilgrim settlers, realizing that the party didn't have a patent to settle in the region, subsequently signed the
Mayflower Compact. The Pilgrims went on to explore various parts of
Cape Cod, but soon a storm and violent skirmishes with local Native Americans forced the migrants to sail westward into
Cape Cod Bay. The Pilgrims eventually came across the sheltered waters of
Plymouth Harbor on
December 17. The appealing protected bay led to a site in the present-day Harbor District being chosen for the new settlement after three days of surveying. The settlers officially disembarked on
December 21,
1620. It is traditionally said that the Pilgrims first set foot in America at the site of
Plymouth Rock, though no historical evidence can prove this claim. The settlers named their settlement "Plimouth" (also historically known as "Plimoth", an old English spelling of the name) after the
major port city in
Devon,
England from which the Mayflower sailed. The area had previously been explored by
Captain John Smith, a leader of the
Jamestown settlement. Smith explored parts of Cape Cod Bay in 1614, and is credited with naming the region which would become the future Plymouth Colony as "New Plimouth."
Plymouth faced many difficulties during its first winter, the most notable being the risk of starvation and the lack of suitable shelter. It survived due to Native American aid from
Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) and
Samoset. Squanto was particularly of assistance to the settlers, teaching them to catch eel and grow corn in order to prevent the colonists from starving to death. The
Wampanoag Tribe, led by
Chief Massasoit, later formed a Peace Treaty with the Pilgrims and introduced new ways to cultivate food in the region. Massasoit personally forged critical ties with Plymouth's leaders. Upon growing a plentiful harvest in the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims gathered with Squanto, Samoset, Massasoit, and ninety other Wampanoag men in a celebration of food and feasting. This celebration is known today as the
First Thanksgiving, and is still commemorated annually in downtown Plymouth with a parade and a reenactment. Since 1941,
Thanksgiving has been observed as a
federal holiday in the United States.
Plymouth served as the capital of
Plymouth Colony (which consisted of modern-day
Barnstable,
Bristol, and
Plymouth Counties) from its founding in 1620 until 1691, when the colony was annexed by the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town eventually became a regional center of shipbuilding and fishing. Its principal industry was the
Plymouth Cordage Company, which became the world's largest manufacturer of rope and cordage products. The company was founded in 1824. At one point, the longest ropewalk in the world, a quarter-mile (0.4 km) in length, was found on the Cordage Company's site on the
North Plymouth waterfront. It thrived into the 1960s, but was forced out of business in 1964 due to competition from synthetic-fiber ropes. The refurbished factory, known as Cordage Commerce Center, is home to numerous offices, restaurants and stores.
Modern history
In the last 30 years, Plymouth has experienced rapid growth and development. As in many
South Shore towns, Plymouth became more accessible to
Boston in the early 1970s with improved railroads, highways, and bus routes. Furthermore, the town's inexpensive land costs and low tax rates caused the population to explode. Plymouth's population mushroomed from 18,606 residents in 1970 to 45,608 residents in 1990, a 145% increase in only 20 years. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 134.0
sq mi (347.0
km²): 96.5 sq mi (249.8 km²) of it's land, and 37.5 sq mi (97.2 km²) of it (28%) is water. Plymouth is geologically part of
Cape Cod, but the 1914 completion of the
Cape Cod Canal separated it from the rest of the Cape's towns.
With the largest land area of any municipality in
Massachusetts, Plymouth consists of several
neighborhoods and geographical sections. Larger localities in the town include
Plymouth Center,
North,
West and
South Plymouth,
Manomet,
Cedarville, and Saquish Neck.
Plymouth makes up the entire western shore of
Cape Cod Bay. Landwise, it's bordered by
Bourne to the southeast,
Wareham to the southwest,
Carver to the west, and
Kingston to the north. It also shares a small border with
Duxbury at the land entrance of Saquish Neck. Plymouth's border with Bourne makes up most of the line between
Plymouth and
Barnstable counties. The town is located roughly southeast of
Boston (it is almost exactly from
Plymouth Rock to the
Massachusetts State House) and equidistantly east of
Providence,
Rhode Island.
Plymouth has many distinct geographical features. The town's Atlantic coast is characterized by low plains, while its western sections are extremely hilly and forested. Plymouth contains several small ponds scattered throughout its western quadrant, the largest being the
Great Herring Pond (which is partly in the town of Bourne).
Cachalot Scout Reservation, operated by the Cachalot District of the Narragansett Council of the
Boy Scouts of America, lies adjacent to the state forest lands. There is also a smaller town forest, as well as several parks, recreation areas and beaches.
Plymouth has nine public beaches, the largest being
Plymouth Beach. Plymouth Beach guards
Plymouth Harbor and mostly consists of a three-mile (5 km) long, ecologically significant
barrier beach.
Clark's Island, a small island in
Plymouth Bay, is the only island in Plymouth. It is off the coast of Saquish Neck and has no inhabitants.
Climate
Plymouth's climate is
humid continental, which is the predominant climate for Massachusetts and New England. Due to its location on the
Atlantic Ocean, humidity levels can be very high year-round. Plymouth's coastal location causes it to experience warmer temperatures than many inland locations in New England. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy and often snowy.
Plymouth's warmest month is July, with an average high temperature of 75.9 °
F (24.4 °
C) and an average low of 60.3 °F (15.7 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average high temperature of 36.8 °F (2.7 °C) and an average low of 16.2 °F (-8.8 °C).
Much like the rest of the Northeastern seaboard, Plymouth receives ample amounts of precipitation year-round. On average, summer months receive slightly less precipitation than winter months. Plymouth averages about 49
in (124
cm) of rainfall a year. Plymouth, like other coastal Massachusetts towns, is very vulnerable to
Nor'easter weather systems. The town is sometimes vulnerable to Atlantic
hurricanes and
tropical storms, which infrequently threaten the Cape Cod region during the early autumn months.
Demographics
Further Information
Get more info on 'Plymouth Massachusetts'.
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