Whaling in Massachusetts; especially in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Whaling began in the the early 1600’s and continued on into exactly 1927; New Bedford sent the last whaling boat, it was named the John R. Mantra.
People all over the world would come to Massachusetts/ New England for whaling; it was a major hub for fishing we were right next to the Atlantic Ocean, we had three main ports in Massachusetts; one in New Bedford, Boston and Nantucket. Nantucket was a huge port back in the 1700’s. In 1659 Nantucket was sold to nine different buyers for just two beaver hats and 30 pounds of sterling. The nine buyers were Tristram Coffin, Thomas Macy, Christopher Hussey, Richard Swayne, Thomas Barnard, Peter Coffin, John Swayne, and William Pike.
The prominent whaling merchant Joesph Rotch actually moved to New Bedford because he saw all the potential in New Bedford for the Whaling Industry.
One great source for all whaling information is actually the Whaling Museum in Downtown New Bedford, MA; if you ever have free time and you live in the Bay Area of Massachusetts i would highly suggest you come by and take a tour, I’ve personally gone a lot of times throughout my childhood and my young adult years!
nathancouto 