The Story of Lewis Temple by Sue Shirley

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Slide Notes

The Story of Lewis Temple

Published on Nov 23, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

The Story of Lewis Temple

http://www.haikudeck.com/p/2iZAmjdYtt

Photo by grsing

Lewis was born into slavery in Richmond, VA in 1800.

Photo by cmiper

Once a free man, he moved to New Bedford in the 1820s.

Photo by David W. Siu

New Bedford was home to a large whaling industry.

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Temple was a blacksmith who made whaling tools such as harpoons.

Photo by calilily

Whalers complained that harpoons did not hold fast to the whales and the giant mammals escaped too easily.

In 1865, Lewis invented the "Temple Toggle" harpoon shown in the center.

Photo by cmiper

When a whale tried to swim away once it had been harpooned, the toggle head would pivot locking it into place. The whale could not break free.

Had Lewis applied for a patent for the Temple Toggle, he would have died a very wealthy man. Instead, other blacksmiths copied his design and did not have to pay him for his unique idea.

Photo by cmh4529

Sue Shirley