Whaling Captains of Color

摘要

Whaling Captains of Color, by Skip Finley, brings to the fore a portion of American maritime history that few people have encountered. Whaling was the basis of many New England family fortunes. Men of color rose to prominent positions in this industry, but they quickly faded from the pages of its history after its demise. Finley illuminates these captains of color with the as-yet definitive collection of facts and figures. In the process, he paints a portrait of who these captains-black, native American, and Cape Verdean-were. From his description of the beginnings of commercial whaling to the last successful whaling voyage, the author highlights the role of captains of color in a rare occupation, in those times, in which they were equal to their peers.