Work, labor, and energy on land and sea

what was oil used for before power

illumination and lubrication

Source of oil before petroleum

animal fat

drawback to using animal fat

smoky and smelly

What do whales represent

a flow of energy in human history and the global environment

Crews on whaling expeditions

multi-ethnic crews of free laborers, not slaves

US whaling characterization

geographically focused

boom was rapid, brief, spectacular, followed by bust

whaling commodities

baleen

oil

ambergris

overall average returns from US whaling

14%

innovative financing in US whaling

lay system

women become important investors

lay system

financier, boat owner, and crew had a specified share in overall profit of voyage

What influence gets women to be investors in whaling

Quaker

innovative technology in whaling

bigger and better boats

better cartography

improved winches and harpoons

winches impact

lowering size of crew

Why did whaling go bust

cheap oil underground

competition from jobs on land

over hunting of whale pods

What does hunting whales for oil show

the importance of illumination