ABSTRACT
New Bedford, Massachusetts, was one of the wealthiest cities in the United States during the nineteenth century, having amassed its fortune through the whaling industry. During the peak of New Bedford’s prominence in 1850, kerosene was invented-fuel that would soon replace the expensive whale oil that served as a lighting fluid during this period.1 Although the invention of kerosene did not have an immediate impact on whaling profits, wise ship owners recognized the imminent demise of the industry and looked for alternative industries in which to invest.
