Whalesite Home
The Plough Boy Anthology:
19th Century American Whaling
"The Ploughboy Anthology: 19th Century American Whaling" contains transcriptions of books, articles, documents, and manuscript material telling the story of Pacific sperm whaling in the 19th century.
Access by decade of publication:
| 1780 | 1790 | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 |
| 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1890 | 1910 | 1920 | 1950 |
| 2019 |
Access by personal author:
(Note: will return only first instance of the author.)
(Note: will return only first instance of the author.)
This site is still under construction.
|
1782 - Crèvecoeur - Letters from an American farmer J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, Letters from an American farmer: describing certain provincial situations, manners, and customs, not generally known : and conveying some idea of the late and present interior circumstances of the British colonies in North America .... London: T. Davies, 1782. 318 p. : maps ; 22 cm. Complete. | |
|
1791 - Jefferson on the Cod and Whale fisheries United States. Department of State. Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826. Report of the secretary of state, on the subject of the cod and whale fisheries, : made conformably to an order of the House of Representatives of the United States, referring to him the representation of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on those subjects; February 1st, 1791.: Published by order of the Senate of the United States. Philadelphia: Printed by John Fenno, no. 69, in High-Street., M.DCC.XCI. [1791]. Complete. | |
|
1794 - Nantucket from the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, for the Year 1794. Vol. III. Boston: Printed in the year 1794. Re-printed by Munroe & Francis, No. 4. Cornhill, Printers to the Massacusetts Historical Society, 1810. Selections. | |
| Pages 153 through 161 with four papers on Nantucket: the island, it's founding and history, vital statistics, and the whale fishery. | ||
|
1811 - A Description of Nantucket - Joseph Sansom. Joseph Sansom. "A Description of Nantucket." The Port Folio. New Series Vol. V, No. 1 (Jan. 1811). pp.30-43. Complete. | |
|
1819 - Sampson - Is a Whale a Fish? .... William Sampson (1764–1836). Is a Whale a Fish? An accurate report of the case of James Maurice against Samuel Judd, tried in the mayor's court of the city of New-York, on the 30th and 31st of December, 1818, wherein the above problem is discussed theologically, scholastically, and historically. New-York, C. S. Van Winkle, 1819. 81 pages. Complete. | |
|
| ||
|
1821 - Owen Chase - Narrative of the most extraordinary and distressing shipwreck of the whale-ship Essex .... Owen Chase (1797-1869). Narrative of the most extraordinary and distressing shipwreck of the whale-ship Essex, of Nantucket; which was attacked and finally destroyed by a large spermaceti-whale, in the Pacific Ocean; with an account of the unparalleled sufferings of the captain and crew ... New York, W. B. Gilley, 1821. 128 p. 19 cm. Complete. | |
|
| ||
|
1828 - Lay and Hussey - A Narrative of the Mutiny, on Board the Ship Globe .... William Lay and Cyrus M. Hussey. A Narrative of the Mutiny, on Board the Ship Globe, of Nantucket, in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 1824: And the Journal of a Residence of Two Years on the Mulgrave Islands; with Observations on the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants, by William Lay, of Saybrook, Conn. and Cyrus M. Hussey, of Nantucket: the only survivors from the massacre of the ship's company by the natives. New London, Conn., Wm. Lay and C. M. Hussey, 1828. 168 pages Complete. | |
|
| ||
|
1828 - On the Expediency of Fitting Out Vessels of the Navy for an Exploration of the Pacific Ocean and South Seas .... United States. Congress. "On the Expediency of Fitting Out Vessels of the Navy for an Exploration of the Pacific Ocean and South Seas", 25 March 1828. (Report No. 363, from the House Committee on Naval Affairs) American State Papers: Naval Affairs Vol. 3, pp. 189-197. Washington, Gale's & Seaton. 1860. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
Exploring Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas .... United States. Congress. "Exploring Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas", 16 February 1829, (Report No. 387, from the President to the Senate) American State Papers: Naval Affairs Vol. 3, pp. 308-317. Washington, Gale's & Seaton. 1860. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
1829 - On the Policy and Objects of the Exploring Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas .... United States. Congress. "On the Policy and Objects of the Exploring Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas", 23 February 1829, (Report No. 391, to the Senate from the Committee on Naval Affairs) American State Papers: Naval Affairs, Vol. 3, pp. 336-343. Washington: Gale's & Seaton, 1860. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
1830 - Authorization of the Naval Exploring Expedition in the South Seas and Pacific Ocean .... United States. Congress. "Authorization of the Naval Exploring Expedition in the South Seas and Pacific Ocean, and of the Purchase of and Payment for Astronomical and Other Instruments for the Same", 17 March 1830, (Report No. 415, from the House Committee on Naval Affairs) American State Papers: Naval Affairs, Vol. 3, pp. 546-560. Washington: Gale's & Seaton, 1860. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
1831 - Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Octavius Pickering. Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. By Octavius Pickering, Counsellor at Law. Vol. 12. Boston: Hilliard, Gray, and Company, 1835. Selections. | |
|
The two decisions (pages 107-112) were landmarks in apprentice law as related to the cooper's trade. Both were decided October term 1831 sitting at Plymouth, Massachusetts, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw presiding. The first case "Richard Randall versus Francis Rotch et al. (Randall v. Rotch, 12 Pick. 107) ended the custom and practice of a master coopers sending his apprentice on a whaling voyage while pocketing the proceeds paid to the apprentice for the voyage. The second case "Hiram Nickerson versus John G. Easton (Nickerson v. Easton 12 Pick. 110) was related the the first, but stipulated that once the apprentice ceased to reside with the master, the contract of apprenticeship was ended and he was entitled to earnings made on a whaling voyage. | ||
|
1831 - Beechey - Narrative of a voyage to the Pacific and Beering's strait .... Frederick William Beechey (1796-1856). Narrative of a voyage to the Pacific and Beering's strait, to co-operate with the polar expeditions: performed in His Majesty's ship Blossom, under the command of Captain F.W. Beechey ... in the years 1825, 26, 27, 28 .... London: H. Colburn and R. Bentley. 1831 2 v. front., plates, port., maps (part fold.) 22 cm. Selection. | |
|
Selection - Vol. 2, Chapter 6, pp. 227-241: [The Bonin Islands] Captain Frederick Beechey, commander of H.M.S. Blossom, is generally regarded as the modern discoverer of the Bonin Islands. The Arrowsmith charts used by Beechey included a group of islands called the Bonin Isles that had been placed on these maps in 1823 based on the work of Remusat. Beechey claimed the islands for Great Britain and named the islands of the middle cluster. Beechey did not visit the southern or northern group of islands. Because the group corresponded to the Yslas del Arzobispo that had been noted in an old Spanish pubication from Manilla with the title Navigacion Especulativa y Practica, he retained this as a parallel name for the overall group of islands. | ||
|
1831 - Paulding - Journal of a Cruise of the United States Schooner Dolphin, among the islands of the Pacific Ocean .... Hiram Paulding (1797-1878). Journal of a Cruise of the United States Schooner Dolphin, among the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and a visit to the Mulgrave Islands, in pursuit of the mutineers of the whale ship Globe .... New York, G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1831. 258 pages. Complete. | |
|
| ||
|
1834 - Hart - Miriam Coffin; or, The Whale-Fishermen: A Tale. Vol. 1. Joseph C. Hart (1798-1855). Miriam Coffin; or, The Whale-Fishermen: A Tale. 2 Vols. New York:New York: G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1834. Complete Vol. 1. | |
|
| ||
|
|
1834 - Hart - Miriam Coffin; or, The Whale-Fishermen: A Tale. Vol. 2. Joseph C. Hart (1798-1855). Miriam Coffin; or, The Whale-Fishermen: A Tale. 2 Vols. New York: G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1834. Complete Vol. 2. | |
|
| ||
|
1835 - Information Collected by the Navy Department Relating to Islands, Reefs, Shoals, Etc., in the Pacific Ocean and South Seas .... United States. Congress. "Information Collected by the Navy Department Relating to Islands, Reefs, Shoals, Etc., in the Pacific Ocean and South Seas, and Showing the Expediency of an Exploring Expedition in that Ocean and those Seas by the Navy", 29 January 1835 (Report No. 573, to the House from the Navy Department) American State Papers: Naval Affairs Vol. 4, pp. 688-700. Washington, Gale's & Seaton. 1861. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
1835 - On the Expediency and Importance of Authorizing a Naval Expedition to Explore the Pacific Ocean and South Seas United States. Congress. "On the Expediency and Importance of Authorizing a Naval Expedition to Explore the Pacific Ocean and South Seas", 7 February 1835. (Report No. 578, to the House from the Committee on Communication) American State Papers: Naval Affairs Vol. 4, pp. 707-715. Washington, Gale's & Seaton. 1861. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 620 (21 March 1836) | ||
|
1835 - Beale - A few observations on the natural history of the sperm whale .... Thomas Beale (1807-1849). A few observations on the natural history of the sperm whale : with an account of the rise and progress of the fishery, and of the modes of pursuing, killing, and "cutting in" that animal, with a list of its favorite places of resort. London: Effingham Wilson, 1835. 58 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. Complete. | |
| See below: Beale's Natural history of the sperm whale | ||
|
1835 - W. - A Chapter on Whaling W. "A Chapter on Whaling," The New-England Magazine Vol. 8, Issue 6 (June 1835). pp. 445-449. Complete. | |
|
1836 - On the Expediency of Authorizing an Exploring Expedition, by Vessels of the Navy, to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas United States. Congress. "On the Expediency of Authorizing an Exploring Expedition, by Vessels of the Navy, to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas", 21 March 1836. (Report No. 620, to the Senate from the Committee on Naval Affairs) American State Papers: Naval Affairs, Vol. 4, pp. 867-873. Washington, Gale's & Seaton. 1861. Complete. | |
|
See also: Report No. 363 (25 March 1828) Report No. 387 (16 February 1829) Report No. 391 (23 February 1829) Report No. 415 (17 March 1830) Report No. 573 (29 January 1835) Report No. 578 ( 7 February 1835) | ||
|
1839 - Beale - The natural history of the sperm whale Thomas Beale (1807-1849). The natural history of the sperm whale. Its anatomy and physiology, food, spermaceti, ambergris, rise and progress of the fhshery, chase and capture, "cutting in" and "trying out", description of the ships, boats, men and instruments used in the attack; with an account of its favourite places of resort. To which is added a sketch of a South-Sea whaling voyage; embracing a description of the extent, as well as the adventures and accidents that occurred during the voyage in which the author was personally engaged. London, John Van Voorst, 1839. vi, [7]-12, 393 p. front., illus., 2 pl. 20 cm. Complete. | |
| See above: Beale's A few observations on the natural history of the sperm whale | ||
|
1839 - Reynolds - Mocha Dick: or the White Whale of the Pacific .... Jeremiah N. Reynolds (1799-1849). "Mocha Dick: or the White Whale of the Pacific: A Leaf from a Manuscript Journal The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine. Vol. 13, No. 5 (May 1839) pp. 377-392. Complete. | |
|
1840 - Bennett - Narrative of a whaling voyage round the globe, from the year 1833 to 1836 - Vol. 1 Frederick Debell Bennett (1806-1858). Narrative of a whaling voyage round the globe, from the year 1833 to 1836. Comprising sketches of Polynesia, California, the Indian Archipelago, etc. with an account of southern whales, the sperm whale fishery, and the natural history of the climates visited. London: Richard Bentley, 1840. 2 v. fronts., illus., map. (fold.) 22 cm. Vol. 1 Complete. | |
| See below: Vol. 2 of Bennett. | ||
|
1840 - Bennett - Narrative of a whaling voyage round the globe, from the year 1833 to 1836 - Vol. 2 Frederick Debell Bennett (1806-1858). Narrative of a whaling voyage round the globe, from the year 1833 to 1836. Comprising sketches of Polynesia, California, the Indian Archipelago, etc. with an account of southern whales, the sperm whale fishery, and the natural history of the climates visited. London: Richard Bentley, 1840. 2 v. fronts., illus., map. (fold.) 22 cm. Vol. 2 Complete. | |
| See below: Vol. 1 of Bennett. | ||
|
1840 - Dana - Two years before the mast .... Richard Henry Dana, jr. (1815-1882). Two years before the mast; a personal narrative of life at sea. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1840. 483 p. ; 16 cm. Complete. | |
| See below: Dana's The Seaman's Friend. | ||
|
1841 - Olmsted - Incidents of a whaling voyage .... Francis Allyn Olmsted (1819-1844). Incidents of a whaling voyage: to which are added observations on the scenery manners and customs, and missionary stations of the Sandwich and Society Islands ... New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1841. 360 p.: ill., music; 20 cm. Complete. | |
|
1841 - Dana - The Seaman's Friend Richard Henry Dana, jr. (1815-1882). The Seaman's Friend; Containing a Treatise on Practical Seamanship, with Plates, a Dictionary of Sea Terms; Customs and Usages of the Merchant Service; Laws Relating to the Practical Duties of Master and Mariners. Boston: Charles C. Little & James Brown, and Benjamin Loring & Co., [1841]. viii, 223 pages, [5] leaves of plates, illustrations, 20cm. Complete. | |
| See above: Dana's Two years before the mast. | ||
|
Story of a whale chase in which two boats are stove and a boatsteerer survives being in a whales jaw.
"Incident of a Whaler" by an eye witness. The Signal of Liberty (Ann Arbor, Michigan) Vol. 4, No. 45 (Whole No. 201) Monday, March 3, 1845. p. 177. Full text. | |
|
An account of a whale chase where the Captain's boat "gets fast"; the 2d Mate's boat arrives and attempts the same before it gets stove. The boat steerer of the 2d Mates boat is rescued by the Captain's boat when the whale crashes into the boat knocking the the boat steerer into jaws of the whale. The whale dives and somehow the unfortunate boat steerer is set free but much injured. He survives but the whale was lost. | ||
|
1845 – A Whaling Expedition.
"A Whaling Expedition." The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle, for 1845. Enlarged series, No. 3 — vol. for 1845. pp. 135-142 Full text. | |
|
A general description of a whaling voyage on a British whale ship in the Indian Ocean. Includes an account of the destruction of a whale boat by a whale and the death of one of the boat crew. | ||
|
1845 - Darwin - Journal of researches . . . Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H. M. S. Beagle round the world, under the command of Capt. Fitz Roy, R.N. London: John Murray, 1845. Second edition, corrected, with additions. x, 519 p. illus. 21 cm. Selected text – Chapter 17 – Galapagos Archipelago. pp. 372-401. | |
|
1846 - Browne - Etchings of a whaling cruise .... J. Ross Browne (John Ross) (1817-1875). Etchings of a whaling cruise, with notes of a sojourn on the island of Zanzibar. To which is appended a brief history of the whale fishery. New York: Harper, 1846. 580 p. front., illus., plates. 24 cm. Complete. | |
|
1846 - Whale-Fisheries "Whale-Fisheries" The United States Democratic Review. Vol. 19, Issue 102 (December 1846) pp. 453-464. Complete. | |
|
1850 - Cheever - The whale and his captors .... Henry T. Cheever, 1814-1897. The whale and his captors; or, The whalemen's adventures, and the whale's biography as gathered on the homeward cruise of the "Commodore Preble New York: Harper & Brothers, 1850. xiii, [21]-314 p. incl. plates. 17 1/2cm. Complete. | |
|
1851 - Melville - Moby-Dick, or, The whale Herman Melville (1819-1891). Moby-Dick, or, The whale. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851 xxiii, 634 p. ; 20 cm. Complete. | |
|
1854 - Aboard a Sperm Whaler "Aboard a Sperm Whaler" Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Vol. 8, Issue 47 (April 1854) pp. 670-674. Complete. | |
|
1856 - Perry - Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan .... Matthew Calbraith Perry, (1794-1858) & Francis L. Hawks (1798-1866). Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan : performed in the years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the command of Commodore M.C. Perry, United States Navy, by order of the government of the United States. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, Printer, 1856. Senate Executive Document No. 79 (33d Congress, 2d Session) 3 volumes illustrations, plates (some color) portraits, maps (17 folded) facsimiles (2 folded) diagrams ; 30 cm. Selected text: Chapter X: [Bonin Islands], pp.197-214. | |
|
1860 – Capt. E. C. Williams booklet to accompany his South Sea whaling voyage panorama show.
Edward C. Williams. Life in the South Seas: History of the Whale Fisheries, Habits of the Whale, Perils of the Chase and Method of Capture: Startling Incidents, Graphic Deleniations, Thrilling Scenes in the Life of the American Whaleman, Compiled from Various Writers and the Author's Personal Experience of the scenes described. New York: Polhemus & De Vries, 1860. Full text. | |
|
Booklet prepared for Williams' Panorama of a South Sea Whaling Voyage -- a theatrical show with a moving panorama which toured in New England, New York, and Philadelphia in the early 1860s. Begins with a Moby Dick 'Extracts' section. Otherwise an anthology of texts taken from the whaling literature available in 1860 — Melville, Browne, Beale, Olmstead, Hart, Macy, etc. | ||
|
1861 - Life and Adventure in the South Pacific [John D. Jones.] Life and Adventure in the South Pacific. by a Roving Printer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1861. Complete. | |
|
1865 - Stavers - Journal of Thomas Reed Stavers Thomas Reed Stavers (1798-1867). Journal of Thomas Reed Stavers 1865. Complete text of manuscript copy – courtesy of Albert Bos of the Netherlands. | |
|
1874 - Davis - TITLE William M. Davis (1815-1891). Nimrod of the sea; or, The American whaleman. New York: Harper & brothers, 1874. 403 p. illus. 20 cm. Complete. | |
| See also: "Huntsmen of the Sea" | ||
|
1874 - Scammon - The Marine Mammals of the North-Western Coast of North America .... Charles Scammon (1825-1911). The Marine Mammals of the North-Western Coast of North America, Described and Illustrated: Together with an Account of the American Whale-Fishery. San Francisco: John H. Carmany and Company, 1874. 319, v pp. Illustrated with 27 plates. Complete. | |
|
1874 - Huntsmen of the Sea "Huntsmen of the Sea" Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Vol. 49, Issue 293 (October 1874). pp. 650-661. Complete. | |
| See above: William M. Davis' Nimrod of the sea. | ||
|
1876 - Catalogue of Nantucket Whalers Hussey & Robinson (Firm). Catalogue of Nantucket Whalers: And Their Voyages from 1815 to 1870. Hussey & Robinson, printers and publishers, 1876. 54 pages Complete. | |
|
1878 - Starbuck - History of the American whale fishery, from its earliest inception to the year 1876 Starbuck, Alexander (1841-1925). History of the American whale fishery, from its earliest inception to the year 1876. Waltham, Mass.:, The author, 1878. 768 p. vi plates, 24 cm. "First published in part IV of the report of the U.S. Commission on Fish and Fisheries, Washington, 1878, also issued privately by the author, 1878." Complete text of narrative; tabular section pages available via hyperlink. | |
|
1890 - The Perils and Romance of Whaling - Kobbé Gustav Kobbé. "The Perils and Romance of Whaling." The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. Vol. 40 (n.s. Vol. 18), No. 4 (August 1890.) pp. 509-525. Complete. | |
|
Whale Fishery of New England &mdash: 1915
State Street Trust Company, Boston. Whale fishery of New England: An account, with illustrations and some interesting and amusing anecdotes, of the rise and fall of an industry which has made New England famous throughout the world. Boston, P. Walton, 1915. Full text. | |
|
A very readable short history of American whaling. | ||
|
1915 - Cholmondeley - The history of the Bonin Islands from the year 1827 to the year 1876 .... Lionel Berners Cholmondeley, 1858-1945. The history of the Bonin Islands from the year 1827 to the year 1876, and of Nathaniel Savory, one of the original settlers; to which is added a short supplement dealing with the islands after their occupation by the Japanese. London: Constable & Co., Ltd., 1915. viii p., 2 l., 178 p., 1 l. front., plates. 23 cm. Notes: Maps on lining-paper. Complete. | |
|
1916 - Verrill - The Real Story of the Whaler: Whaling, Past and Present A. Hyatt Verrill (1871-1954). The Real Story of the Whaler: Whaling, Past and Present. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1916. xv, 248 p. front., illus. plates. 21 cm. Complete. | |
|
1925 - Townsend - The Galapagos tortoises in their relation to the whaling industry Charles Haskins Townsend (1859-1944). The Galapagos tortoises in their relation to the whaling industry. New York: New York Zoological Society, 1926. (New York Aquarium Nature Series.) Reprinted from Zoologica v.4, no.3, 1925. Complete. | |
|
1958 - Gardner - Captain Edmund Gardner, of Nantucket and New Bedford: his journal and his family. Edmund Gardner (1784-1875). Captain Edmund Gardner, of Nantucket and New Bedford: his journal and his family. New Bedford, Mass.: Bullard, 1958. 109 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Edited and compiled by John M. Bullard (1890-1965). Complete. | |
| Complete text – transcribed and made available here with the permission of the Bullard family, New Bedford. | ||
|
2019 - Joshua Orszag - Whales and War Joshua Orszag. Whales and War: How the Confederates destroyed the northern whaling industry and why the union let it happen. Complete text (by permission) | |
|
Joshua Orszag's paper about the Civil War and the American whaling industry was a prize-winner in the High School Division of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Civil War Essay Contest in 2019. Mr. Orszag has given his permission to have it included in the Plough Boy Anthology: 19th Century American Whaling collection. | ||
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Apr 02, 2023.