Sep 26, 2026 · 5 min
Maine lobster reveals New England’s deeper history
National Lobster Day
The episode shows how fishing, Indigenous dispossession, disease, and access to Atlantic waters shaped settlement and revolutionary-era New England.
- 1Maine’s lobster industry depends on the meeting of cold Labrador and warm Gulf Stream waters.
- 2Fish, not lobster, initially drove European settlement, trade, and wealth along North America’s northeastern coast.
- 3Fishing access, disease, and Indigenous dispossession helped shape New England’s economy and Revolutionary-era politics.
Don't miss
Richardson reframes Maine lobster by showing that fish, rather than lobster, first powered European settlement and trade in the region.
The brief
Heather Cox Richardson uses September 25’s pairing of Dolly Parton Day and National Lobster Day to open a history of Maine’s coast.
Maine’s lobster industry depends on unusual ocean conditions, where the cold Labrador Current meets warmer Gulf Stream waters along the Atlantic coast.
The episode’s larger argument is that fish—not lobster—first drew European settlers and traders toward North America’s northeastern waters and their extraordinary wealth.
From the Grand Banks and Newfoundland to New England, fishing shaped settlement, while disease, Indigenous dispossession, and contested Atlantic access reshaped regional power.
The standout turn is the shift from a familiar Maine symbol to the older fishing economy that helped produce New England’s colonial and revolutionary history.
Featuring
Heather Cox Richardson
Labrador Current
Gulf Stream
John CabotListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.