▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁had ▁among ▁the ▁country ' s ▁highest ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁wealth , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁luc r ative ▁wh aling ▁industry ▁that ▁supplied ▁mark ets ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁with ▁s perm ▁wh ale ▁oil . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁superior ▁form ▁of ▁oil ▁for ▁lan tern s ▁and ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁city ▁that ▁lit ▁the ▁world ". ▁▁ ▁Ab ol ition ists , ▁though , ▁were ▁probably ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁community ' s ▁population , ▁and ▁they ▁realized ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁subject ▁to ▁violence ▁or ▁being ▁killed ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁anti - s la very ▁efforts . ▁There ▁were ▁varying ▁and ▁oppos ing ▁belief s ▁among ▁abol ition ists ▁about ▁inter mar riage , ▁equal ▁opportunity , ▁and ▁full ▁integration . ▁ ▁While ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁wel coming ▁community , ▁there ▁were ▁some ▁people ▁who ▁exhib ited ▁ra cial ▁pre jud ice . ▁For ▁instance , ▁there ▁were ▁white ▁men ▁who ▁were ▁ca ul king ▁and ▁co pper ing ▁a ▁wh aling ▁ship ▁who ▁said ▁that ▁all ▁white ▁men ▁would ▁leave ▁the ▁ship ▁if ▁a ▁qualified ▁black ▁man , ▁Frederick ▁Doug lass , ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁owner ▁Rod ney ▁French , ▁board ed ▁the ▁ship . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁sla very ▁was ▁illegal ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁but ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁still ▁re lied ▁upon ▁sla very . ▁For ▁instance , ▁cot