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Politics
Topher L. McDougal, Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding, University of San Diego

Abolition wasn’t fueled by just moral or economic concerns – the booming whaling industry also helped sink slavery

An engraving of whalers at sea attacking a whale with a harpoon from 1820. Kean Collection/Getty Images

Historians have long debated whether the end of slavery in the United States was primarily driven by moral campaigns or economic changes. But what if both perspectives are looking at only part of the puzzle?

We are experts in economic development and social movements. Our new research uncovers what we believe to be a surprising and overlooked factor in the decline of slavery in the U.S. – the rise of the whaling industry.

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