Thar She Blows!

While many cultures and countries engaged in whaling this page is concerned with the history of the New England whaling industry. In no way should this be seen to justify modern whaling.



Commercial whaling in the United States began in the 17th century in New England. The industry peaked in 1846–1852 when the availability of petrochemicals and over-hunting made the practice increasingly impractical.

At one time whale oil was absolutely necessary. It's main uses were for household lighting and lubrication of machinery. There were alternatives to whale oil, but they were inferior in performance and cleanliness of burn. While the oil was the primary driver there were secondary products. The baleen some whales used to strain food from the sea were a secondary harvest. They were used in applications that would be accomplished in the modern world with plastic or steel. Simply put whale hunting allowed civilization to grow and prosper.