The American Civil War and its impact on New Bedford’s whaling economy will be explored at a free program at 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. 18 at the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum, 1000 Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford
Mark Mello, park ranger at the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, will discuss “A Compact with the Whale, The American Civil War and New Bedford’s whaling industry.’’
With the outbreak of the American Civil War the whaling industry quickly became a target of the Confederate Navy. With the CSS Shenandoah and CSS Alabama prowling the world’s oceans, the New Bedford whaling industry suffered an economic setback.
Or did it?
In this talk, part of the museum’s winter speaker series, Mr. Mello will discuss the complex history of war, destruction, insurance, international diplomacy and how the American Civil War transformed New Bedford from the home of whalers to weavers.
Mr. Mello has a master’s degree in U.S. history from Providence College and a bachelor’s degree in history from Bridgewater State University. He is a lifelong historian with a special dedication to studying the American Civil War. He works for the National Park Service at Blackstone River Valley National Park as a park ranger, specializing in early industrialization and labor history. He is president of the New Bedford Civil War Roundtable.
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