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Year: 1848
Who: Lewis Temple (1800-1854)
Where: Massachusetts
What: Lewis Temple was an African American inventor born around 1800 in Richmond, Virginia. He moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1829, where he established himself as a blacksmith by 1836, focusing on making maritime tools such as harpoons and rigging elements. Temple is most renowned for his invention of the "Temple Toggle" or "Temple Iron," a significant enhancement to the traditional whaling harpoon that became the industry standard by the mid-19th century.
Temple's toggle iron, developed in 1848, featured a pivotal head that secured more firmly into a whale, preventing it from dislodging during the struggle after a strike. This innovation dramatically improved the success rate of whaling expeditions, although Temple never patented his invention, resulting in widespread adoption without direct financial benefit to him.
Active in his community, Temple was elected vice president of New Bedford's first antislavery society in 1834. Despite his contributions to the whaling industry and local society, Temple died in debt in 1854 following injuries from a fall. He left a legacy recognized by a monument in New Bedford and his harpoons displayed in the New Bedford Whaling Museum. His toggle iron is credited as one of the most crucial advancements in the history of whaling.
Sources:
Websites:
BlackPast. (n.d.). Lewis Temple (1800-1854). https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/lewis-temple-1800-1854/
Kaplan, S. (1953). Lewis Temple and the Hunting of the Whale. New England Quarterly, 78-88. https://doi.org/10.2307/362337
MIT Press. (n.d.). 300 Years of African American Invention and Innovation. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/300-years-of-african-american-invention-and-innovation/#easy-footnote-11-7368
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