Was the Titanic Advertised by the White Star Line As Unsinkable

Did the White Star Line claim that Titanic was unsinkable or was that what people believed? The shipbuilders Harland and Wolff insist that the Titanic was never advertised as an unsinkable ship. They claim that the ‘unsinkable’ myth grew after the disaster.

The Evidence Source 1 When reports that the Titanic was in trouble reached New York City, White Star Line Vice President P.A.S. Franklin announced " We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is unsinkable." However, by this time Titanic was at the bottom of the ocean.

Source 2 Source 33 Passenger Source 4 Margaret It was the beginning of the Devaney “I twentieth century. took passage Advances in science on the Titanic, promised solutions to for I thought it everything from poverty to for I thought it would be a safe disasters. People believed steamship, and I had heard it that ship disasters were a could not sink." An extract from a White thing of the past. (1997)

Star Line publicity brochure produced in 1910 Source 5 "Each door is held in the open position by a suitable friction for the twin ships Olympic clutch, which can be instantly released by means of a and Titanic which states powerful electro-magnet controlled from the captain's bridge, “…these two wonderful so that in the event of accident, or at any time when it may be vessels are designed to be considered advisable, the captain can, by simply moving an electric switch, instantly close the doors throughout and make unsinkable.” the vessel practically unsinkable."

Extract from Shipbuilder magazine 1911 Source 6 The White Star Line insist that the words used in the Source 7 Source 8 publicity brochure (shown The Titanic was designed to Passenger above) only point to Titanic’s stay afloat with four watertight Thomson Beattie being designed to be compartments flooded. This wrote home to his fact may have led people to mother "We are unsinkable, not that it was changing ships claimed to be unsinkable. believe that the ship was unsinkable in any and coming home in a new, circumstance. (2001) unsinkable boat."

Source 9 October 1910, the New York Times published a review of the Olympic, Titanic’s sister ship, which ended with the words "In short, so complete will be the system of safeguarding devices on board this latest of ocean giants that, when she is finally ready for service, it is claimed that she will be practically unsinkable and absolutely unburnable."

 www.historyonthenet.com 1. Complete the table below.

Source Does it support the Does it support the Primary or Date Reliable - view that the White view that it was Secondary written – yes/no Star Line claimed what people source Titanic was believed at the unsinkable? time? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

 Primary Source: Eye-witness accounts of an event or topic created by a person or people who personally experienced the event.  Secondary Sources: Information that was gathered later by a person who was not present for the actual event.  Reliable: able to be trusted as true

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

2. Which of the sources are most useful for supporting that people believed that Titanic was unsinkable? Why? (sentence starter: The sources most useful for supporting that people believed Titanic was unsinkable are ___ because ___) ______

3. Which sources are the most reliable – those supporting the view that it was what people believed, or those supporting the view that the White Star Line advertised Titanic as unsinkable? Explain your answer. (sentence starter: The sources supporting the view that ___ are the most reliable because ___.) ______

4. Why might the White Star Line have made the claim that the ship was unsinkable? (sentence starter: The White Star Line might have made the claim that the ship was unsinkable because___) ______

5. Why might the White Star Line have made the claim that they did not advertise the Titanic as unsinkable? (sentence starter: The White Star Line might have made the claim that they did not advertise the Titanic as unsinkable because ___) ______

6. Using sources from the worksheet, write a paragraph blaming the White Star Line for misleading people into believing that Titanic was unsinkable. ______

7. Using sources from the worksheet, write a paragraph that the White Star Line could issue to support their claim that they did not publicise Titanic as an unsinkable ship. ______

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