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Lewis Temple (1800 – 18 May 1854) was an American maker of items used in whaling,Spence p. 114, 115 blacksmith, abolitionist, and inventor. He was born in slavery in
Black History Month Daily Feature: Lewis Temple
Infozine.com website, February 22, 2006. * Gary L. Frost. "Lewis Temple." Article in Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, eds. ''African American Lives'' (Oxford University Press, 2004), 803–804. . * Kathryn Grover. ''The Fugitive's Gibraltar: Escaping Slaves and Abolitionism in New Bedford, Massachusetts'' (Amherst:
New Bedford Whaling Museum::Lewis Temple & Harpoons
* 1800 births 1854 deaths African-American abolitionists 19th-century American inventors American blacksmiths American people in whaling 19th-century American slaves Abolitionists from New Bedford, Massachusetts Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Massachusetts People from Richmond, Virginia {{AfricanAmerican-stub
Lewis Temple (1800 – 18 May 1854) was an American maker of items used in whaling,Spence p. 114, 115 blacksmith, abolitionist, and inventor. He was born in slavery in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, and moved to the whaling village of New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...
during the 1820s, where he worked as a blacksmith. He married Mary Clark in 1829 and they had three children. He is best remembered for the invention of "Temple's Toggle" or "Temple's Iron" which was a harpoon toggle tip based upon Inuit and Native American harpoon tips brought back to New England by Whalers in 1835. After some trials, whalers took to the improved harpoon as it prevented the whale from pulling free. Temple never patented his invention which resulted in others copying his work and selling it as their own. Temple did live well enough to build a larger shop. Unfortunately, due to the negligence of a city construction worker, he fell and was injured. He sued the city and won two thousand dollars , which he never received. He died from his injuries in May 1854, aged 53. His profits from the invention went largely to paying off his debts.
See also
*List of African-American inventors and scientists
This list of African-American inventors and scientists documents many of the African-Americans who have invented a multitude of items or made discoveries in the course of their lives. These have ranged from practical everyday devices to applicati ...
References
Citations BibliographyBlack History Month Daily Feature: Lewis Temple
Infozine.com website, February 22, 2006. * Gary L. Frost. "Lewis Temple." Article in Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, eds. ''African American Lives'' (Oxford University Press, 2004), 803–804. . * Kathryn Grover. ''The Fugitive's Gibraltar: Escaping Slaves and Abolitionism in New Bedford, Massachusetts'' (Amherst:
University of Massachusetts Press
The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The press was founded in 1963, publishing scholarly books and non-fiction. The press imprint is overseen by an interdisciplinar ...
, 2001). .
* Spence, Bill. "Harpooned, The Story of Whaling." 1980, Crescent Books. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 79–91692
* Sidney Kaplan. "Lewis Temple and the Hunting of the Whale." ''The New England Quarterly'' 26 (March 1953): 78–88
External links
New Bedford Whaling Museum::Lewis Temple & Harpoons
* 1800 births 1854 deaths African-American abolitionists 19th-century American inventors American blacksmiths American people in whaling 19th-century American slaves Abolitionists from New Bedford, Massachusetts Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Massachusetts People from Richmond, Virginia {{AfricanAmerican-stub