History's Most Famous Ships
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Written by: Tamara Jacobs
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Word Count: 425 |
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 |
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With the ability to communicate over the internet and travel via the sky, it's hard to believe that people ever used to travel overseas by boat. Sure we know that cargo ships do it all the time, but people? Whether it is for their state-of-the-art designs, their leading technology, or the amazing, history-making events that took place on board, the stories of these ships will always be remembered.
Titanic: The Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world in 1912. Unfortunately she only ever travelled one journey, and didn't even make it. She sank on 14 April after she hit an iceberg, killing 1,517 of the 2,227 people on board. Fewer than expected were saved due to a disproportionately low number of lifeboats. Despite the fact that the ship used the most advanced technologies of the time and was designed by top engineers, she was still unable to survive her crash, mostly due to the speed at which she was travelling.
The Mayflower: The Mayflower was the ship that transported English Separatists (Pilgrims) to the US (Massachusetts). The ship carried 102 passengers and a crew of no more than 30. It left England on September 6, 1620 and arrived in America 66 days later after losing 2 passengers to an onboard disease. Unable to practice their religion in England, Pilgrims headed to America where they were free to live out their beliefs. The story of the Mayflower can be found in every American history textbook and is expressed as a symbol or religious freedom.
The Santa Maria: This 98-foot wooden "nao" or cargo ship was what carried Christopher Columbus on his 1492 journey to find a direct trade route to the Indies.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 or QE2 made her maiden voyage in 1969 and was one of the last great transatlantic liners. With the ability to move at the top speed of 32.5 knots the QE2 is one of the fastest passenger vehicles ever built and probably the most famous liner in the world.
La Amistad: La Amistad was a ship owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba. It was supposed to ship African captives from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba, but the Africans took control in July 1839 and were captured off the coast of Long Island by the USS Washington. La Amistad became a symbol in the anti-slavery movement. The status of the Africans aboard the ship were dealt with in a US Supreme Court case in 1841, as the importation of slaves into the US had been forbidden since 1808.
It is amazing to think about all of the historically important moments that took place at sea.
About the Author
Fabric Architecture Ltd has been specialising in the design, engineering, manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures since 1984. Learn more about Canopy Shades at www.fabricarchitecture.com/entrance-canopy
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