▁including ▁wh aling ▁ships , ▁was ▁des irable ▁for ▁free ▁black s ▁and ▁fug itive ▁slaves , ▁because ▁the ▁sh ipping ▁industry ▁wel com ed ▁workers ▁of ▁all ▁races . ▁The ▁wh aling ▁industry ▁saw ▁a ▁huge ▁turn over ▁in ▁crew ▁members ▁and ▁African - Amer icans ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁labor ▁pool . ▁By ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁one ▁in ▁six ▁crew ▁members ▁on ▁wh aling ▁ships ▁were ▁black , ▁according ▁to ▁Michael ▁D yer ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁Wh aling ▁Museum . ▁C rew ▁members ▁shared ▁cr amp ed ▁qu arters ▁in ▁the ▁b unk ▁room ▁on ▁the ▁ship , ▁sleep ing ▁on ▁b unks ▁or ▁in ▁h amm ock s . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁black ▁people ▁generally ▁lived ▁in ▁houses ▁of ▁their ▁white ▁employ ers . ▁By ▁ 1 8 3 0 , ▁only ▁ 1 2 % ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ▁lived ▁in ▁their ▁employ er ' s ▁homes . ▁The ▁remaining ▁ 8 8 % ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁live ▁more ▁independently . ▁By ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁ 9 . 3 % ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ▁worked ▁in ▁sk illed ▁tr ades , ▁which ▁was ▁higher ▁than ▁other ▁northern ▁cities ▁that ▁were ▁studied ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁by ▁author ▁Leonard ▁Cur ry . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁had ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁N ortheast . ▁ ▁African - Amer