History of New Bedford
The Whaling City: "The City That Lit The World"
The largest whaling port of its time, New Bedford owed its prominence to its deep harbor and mainland access. Prior to New Bedford’s rise, the island of Nantucket served as the stronghold for American whaling. However, as the whaling industry became lucrative, enterprises favored larger vessels for longer voyages. Nantucket lacked the large, deepwater port to accommodate these whaleships, and so whaling moguls favored New Bedford. Though the Revolution and the War of 1812 delayed the development of industry for some time, the town saw strong growth during both economic downturns.
The shift from Nantucket to New Bedford as whaling capital of the world also resulted from the movement of three prominent whaling families just prior to the American Revolution - the Rotches, the Russels, and the Rodmans. Due to the size of Nantucket’s port, the island’s industry was quickly monopolized by outside families from Boston, Providence, and Newport. By moving ashore to New Bedford, the families broke ground in a new location. In addition, they avoided the devastating destruction and port blockade that paralyzed Nantucket during and after the Revolution.
These three major families dominated New Bedford’s whaling industry, who also invested their wealth into philanthropic and business efforts throughout the town. As scholar Eric Dolin wrote, “Yet another reason for New Bedford’s success had to do with the intensity with which its inhabitants pursued whaling, bringing with them an extreme devotion to the industry that gave it a competitive edge.”2 The area had been a Quaker stronghold since the congregation’s establishment in 1699.3 Quakerism inspired a sense of moral pragmatism in its practitioners within the whaling industry. These elite shipowners promoted stability in their business endeavors, infrastructure projects, and social professional networks within the region. Their activist efforts and community engagement recognized the need to strengthen the town in order to secure the industry.
For more on the background on the history of New Bedford, check out the New Bedford Whaling Museum's online exhibition, City's Evolution.
1 Leonard Bolles Ellis, History of New Bedford and its Vicinity, 1602-1892. (Syracuse, N.Y.: Mason, 1892): 175.
2 Eric Jay Dolin, “The Golden Age” in Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America (New York City: W.W. Norton, 2007): 213
3 Leonard Bolles Ellis, History of New Bedford and its Vicinity, 48.
