Lewis Temple (1800 – 18 Lewis Temple ( – 18 May ) was an American maker of items used in whaling, [1] blacksmith, abolitionist, and inventor. He was born in slavery in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to the whaling village of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the s, where he worked as a blacksmith.
Lewis Temple, an African
The invention of the fluted or barbed harpoon, which revolutionized the whaling industry, was the brainchild of Lewis Temple, an African American blacksmith and abolitionist born in in Richmond, Virginia. 
Temple was born in Lewis Temple was born in as a slave in Richmond, Virginia. He obtained his freedom and moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts in where he worked as a blacksmith. Later that year he married Mary Clark, with whom he would later have three children.
This date marks the birth By upgrading the original arrowhead harpoon with a locking toggle device, Lewis Temple, an African-American inventor, created "Temple's Iron" and revolutionized the whaling industry. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Temple never received formal schooling.
Lewis Temple was born Lewis Temple (22 October – 18 May ) was an American maker of items used in whaling, blacksmith, abolitionist, and inventor. He was born in slavery in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to the whaling village of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the s, where he worked as a blacksmith.
Lewis Temple was an While working in his shop on Walnut Street in , Temple invented an improved harpooning instrument. Now called the Temple toggle iron, his creation had a pivoting head that would secure the harpoon into the whale’s flesh. Earlier harpoons would often work loose in the fury of the fight.
Lewis Temple was the inventor of Lewis Temple. American inventor who in developed an improved toggle harpoon that revolutionized the technology of whaling. An African-American born into slavery in Richmond, Virginia, Temple became a shipsmith and whalecraft manufacturer.
Lewis Temple was born Lewis Temple ( – 18 May ) was an American maker of items used in whaling, [1] blacksmith, abolitionist, and inventor. He was born in slavery in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to the whaling village of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the s, where he worked as a blacksmith.