Until
the discovery of kerosene in the mid-19th century, Americans had
burned whale oil for heat and for light for many years. Native Americans on the east coast had
routinely butchered beach whales for centuries before white settlers arrived in
Massachusetts. English colonists
developed a thriving whaling industry, and New Englanders set sail on voyages
to the north Pacific that took them away from home and family for years. The city of New Bedford was a center of the
industry.
The
place to start is the New Bedford National Whaling Historic Park. There are a couple of small exhibits and
extremely helpful people there who can answer your questions.
From
there, go to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. At the museum, you can see everything from whale skeletons to an actual
whaling ship. The museum has great
exhibits showcasing the whaling industry
and the lives of the sailors, their families, and the men who profited most
from the trade and made New Bedford one of the wealthiest communities in the
country.
Across
the street from the museum, take a short walk to the Seaman’s Bethel, a small
church that was attended by sailors and captains before and after their long,
dangerous voyages. The dangers of
whaling are highlighted by the many memorial plaques marking the deaths and
disappearances of crewmen over the years.
Herman Melville attended this chapel (You can sit in his pew.) and set a
famous chapter of Moby Dick in this very chapel. Very friendly volunteers are on hand to
answer questions.
New
Bedford was important in antebellum American history for another reason; it was
a center of the abolitionist movement.
It was one of the major final destinations of the Underground Railroad,
and Frederick Douglass lived there for years.
In fact, Douglass met abolitionist firebrand William Lloyd Garrison in
New Bedford, and the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the black
regiment immortalized in the movie “Glory”, recruited there. A recently completed mural near the museum
honors this history. The National Park office has information as well.
New
Bedford also boasts museums dedicated to glass, firefighting, art, and the
Portuguese immigrants who settled in the area.
