Event Dime

Salt and Survival: The Untold Story of the Revolution

When:

July 9, 2026 · 1:00 PM

Where:

Jericho Historical Center, Old Main Street 90, Dennis, Massachusetts, 02670, United States

Source:

MA250

School lessons about the American Revolution often focus on the Boston Tea Party—but far fewer people learn about the importance of salt. Cod fishing, Cape Cod’s biggest industry, relied on salt for preserving fish for export. British blockades, designed to cripple coastal communities, were preventing salt being imported. In response, colonists relied on the sun and their ingenuity. Captain John Sears of Dennis designed the first saltworks, using solar evaporation to produce the salt essential f