Atlantic cod was eaten at the first Thanksgiving, but that’s only one example of its significance in history. This fish has been important for human survival across the centuries because of its high protein content, because it’s easy to catch, and because it can be preserved — salted or dried. Salted cod encouraged colonization in the new world and was frequently traded with Europeans. It earned the nickname “white gold” because of its value as a food source. Benjamin Franklin’s efforts to become a vegetarian were thwarted by his inability to resist cod.

Cape Cod was named after Atlantic cod in 1602 by British privateer and explorer Bartholomew Gosnold because of the great bounty of these fish in the waters surrounding the peninsula. Prosperity based on the cod fishing industry drove incr

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