The End of an Era

There is much associated with the decline and end of the Golden Age of Whaling but the main cause was the up and coming new inventions and lack of new technology for whaling. One of these main causes was the finding of petroleum in 1859 which took over the day to day uses of whale oil. This, however, was not the only cause for Americans and people all over the world were still finding new uses for the whale oil ever day. The end of the era was not a result of one issue or invention but a combination of many. Another cause was the American Civil War which took the focus away from whaling and on fighting the war itself. Within the Civil War, there was the blockade of southern ports which led to many whale-ships being unused and thus converted to help the war effort. The fear of  many disasters to whalers and their property in the Arctic was also a concern that caused many to stop whaling. The large decline in the whale stocks also led to end. Finally, the tip of the iceberg for the end of the Golden Age was the development of new whaling technology in both America and in Norway. This may seem hard to believe but with the great development in new technology allowing whales to be captured more efficiently, most whale populations were near extinction and no new whales were being found. The combination of all of these factors led to the ultimate demise of whaling in a America and thus the end of an era.

Source: "William Lloyd Garrison Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/william-lloyd-garrison-9307251>.