"Whale Fishery of New England" by The Boston State Street Trust Company The history of American whaling really begins with the settlement of the New England Colonies. When the Mayflower anchored inside of Cape Cod, the Pilgrims saw whales playing about the ship, and this was their chief reason for settling there. This book serves as a history of the practice so that fishermen and historians both at the time of its publication and in the future would be able to continue honoring this essential part of New England's history.