New Bedford, Massachusetts

New Bedford, Massachusetts
Accushnet
New Bedford Harbor
New Bedford Harbor
Nickname: 
"The Whaling City"
Motto(s): 
Lucem Diffundo (Latin)
"I Diffuse Light"[1]
Location in Bristol County, Massachusetts
Location in Bristol County, Massachusetts
New Bedford is located in Massachusetts
New Bedford
New Bedford
Location in Massachusetts
New Bedford is located in the United States
New Bedford
New Bedford
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°38′10″N 70°56′05″W / 41.63611°N 70.93472°W / 41.63611; -70.93472
Country United States
State Massachusetts
CountyBristol
Settled1652
Incorporated (town)1787
Incorporated (city)1847
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorJonathan F. Mitchell
 • City CouncilCouncilors-at-Large:
  • Ian Abreu
  • Shane A. Burgo
  • Naomi R.A. Carney
  • Brian K. Gomes
  • Linda M. Morad
Ward Councilors by Ward:
  1. Leo Choquette
  2. Maria E. Giesta
  3. Shawn Oliver
  4. Derek Baptiste
  5. Joseph P. Lopes
  6. Ryan J. Pereira
 • School Committee
  • Jonathan F. Mitchell
  • Melissa M. Costa
  • Christopher A. Cotter
  • Colleen Dawicki
  • Ross M. Grace Jr.
  • Joaquim Livramento
  • Bruce J. Oliveira
Area
 • Total24.13 sq mi (62.50 km2)
 • Land20.00 sq mi (51.80 km2)
 • Water4.13 sq mi (10.70 km2)
Elevation
50 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total102,882
 • Density5,053.70/sq mi (1,951.25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code
02740, 02744–02746
Area code508/774
FIPS code25-45000
GNIS feature ID0613714
Websitewww.newbedford-ma.gov

New Bedford (Massachusett: Accushnet)[3] 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. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American people. English colonists bought the land on which New Bedford would later be built from the Wampanoag in 1652, and the original colonial settlement that would later become the city was founded by English Quakers in the late 17th century. The town of New Bedford itself was officially incorporated in 1787.

During the first half of the 19th century, New Bedford was one of the world's most important whaling ports.[4] At its economic height during this period, New Bedford was the wealthiest city in North America per capita. New Bedford was also a center of abolitionism at this time. The city attracted many freed or escaped African-American slaves, including Frederick Douglass, who lived there from 1838 until 1841.[5] The city also served as a setting in Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick. From 1876 to 1900, New Bedford served as the initial home port for the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction, the precursor of the United States Coast Guard Academy.[6]

At the 2020 U.S. census,[7] New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-largest city and the largest of the South Coast region. The city is also known for its high concentration of Portuguese Americans. New Bedford remains known for its fishing fleet and accompanying seafood industry, which as of 2019 generated the highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States.[8] The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

  1. ^ "Dept. Home - Tourism & Marketing". Tourism & Marketing. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  3. ^ Ricketson, Daniel (1858). The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time. D. Ricketson. p. 13. OCLC 1263627689. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  4. ^ MacEacheran, Mike (July 20, 2018). "The city that lit the world". BBC Travel. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Barnes, Jeanette (April 2, 2018). "3 years in New Bedford changed Frederick Douglass, but why?". SouthCoastToday. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Coulter, John A. (2017). Cadets on Campus History of Military Schools of the United States. Texas A&M University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9781623495213. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Robinson, Kate (August 13, 2021). "New Bedford Population Above 100,000, Fall River Reaches 94,000". WBSM. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  8. ^ Nesi, Ted (May 20, 2021). "New Bedford is America's most lucrative fishing port for 20th straight year". WPRI 12 News. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.

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