Embracing an account of the aborigines, the Dutch in Delaware Bay, the settlements of the county, the whaling, the growth of the villages, the Revolution and patriots, the establishment of the new government, the War of 1812, the progress of the county, and the soldiers of the Civil War.

New settlements appeared in the pine wilderness of the mainland and on the uninhabited Atlantic Ocean barrier islands. These changes caused social and political conflicts, and new development assaulted the fragile seashore environment. Fishing and shipbuilding were key industries throughout the early history of Cape May County. In addition, familiar industries such as cranberry harvesting and nearly forgotten endeavors such as goldbeating, sugar refining, and cedar shingle mining played vital roles in the county's economic development. Dorwart also traces the origins of the seashore resort industry through the history of the city of Cape May, with its unique architectural styles and heritage, as well as the founding of Wildwood, Ocean City, and the newer resort towns.

The Cape May County families of Pilgrim descent are from three Mayflower passengers, John Howland, his wife Elizabeth Tilley, and her father, John Tilley. Based on early land, marriage, cemetery and church records, this definitive work contains hundreds of interrelated genealogies, which come down to the early 20th century. At least 10,000 persons are cited in the index.