Rule Britannia

Britain has always seemed to be the supreme ruler of the seas, so it might seem surprising that the British were falling behind when it came to ferrying passengers across the Atlantic in the early nineteenth century. Britain had found itself in second place to the Americans by the mid 1830s when it came to shipbuilding and cargo contracts; their shipbuilding techniques were outdated, which drove passengers to the larger and safer American built packets, and were sailing without fixed schedules, often finding themselves days or weeks behind schedule, often spoiling goods and upsetting passengers. Their national pride was at stake. This essay shows how a wealthy Canadian shipowner by the name of Samuel Cunard rewrote not only the rules of how shipowners managed their fleets, but also rejuvenated Britain’s maritime glory.