A wondrous tale, could the rave old whale, Of the mighty deep disclose; Of the skeleton forms, of by-gone storms, And of treasures, that no one knows.
             He has seen the crew, when the tempest blew. Drop down from the slippery deck, As he shook the tide, from his glassy side, And sporting mongst ocean and wreck. Sea Song, from the Journal of a Sailor.
             The history of whaling embodies the American spirit in its absolute form. Expansion, industrialization, innovation, self-reliance and cultural contrast are all inter-woven in this tale of America's first manufacturing industry and the first opportunities presented to men of color and foreign origin.
             While America's native Indians first hunted whales in canoes during the early 17th century, it wasn't until fifty years later that whaling became a organic venture off the shores of Long Island Sound and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. A the United States became the most important whaling nation of the world.@ (# 3) Look-out stations were set up along the beaches to spot Right Whales, which frequented the New England coast from October until June. When a whale was sighted, small boats carrying crews of six were sent into the waters to harpoon the whale and then Athe carcass would be brought back to the Commercial Wharf @ (# 2) where the whale blubber would be boiled and converted into crude oil.
             Whaling soon became a very important economic enterprise, as the oil was sold to brighten homes. Around 1690, the inhabitants of Nantucket Island recognized the likelihood economic rewards associated with the trading of whale oil. Located just 17 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, ...