The Killing Age

The Killing Age

Ch8.3. Hastings Factory

New Bedford was all about bringing light to the world, at first through whaling. But the city was also at the forefront of America's fossil economy, as this illustration of the Hastings Factory demonstrates.

back to images & maps Ch8.3. Hastings Factory Hastings Factory, New Bedford. As we discovered in The Killing Age, America’s industrial revolution began at sea with the destruction of whales. Whaling, and New Bedford, was all about producing energy. Unsurprisingly, the city was at the forefront of America’s transition to fossil fuels. This illustration beautifully  

Ch.8.2. Wamsutta Mills

New Bedford was an early site in America's Industrial Revolution. This illustration shows the massive Wamsutta Mills, which produced millions of feet of cloth during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

back to images & maps Ch.8.2. Wamsutta Mills Wamsutta Mills, New Bedford. For a time one of the largest factories in the world, the Wamsutta Mills emerged out of the wealth generated by New Bedford’s whaling industry. Whaling generated fantastic profits, the money landing in the hands of savvy businessmen, who invested their capital into […]

Ch8.1. “Sperm Whaling—Cow and Calf”

Whalers were aware of the social worlds created by their prey, especially sperm whales. This painting depicts a mother trying to protect her mortally wounded child.

back to images & maps Ch8.1. “Sperm Whaling—Cow and Calf” “Sperm Whaling—Cow and Calf,” ca. 1830, unknown artist, New Bedford Whaling Museum. This remarkable watercolor speaks to the intimacy of killing in the age of American whaling. Whalers were aware of the intensely social lives of whales, especially sperm whales…that like them whales cared for […]