The American Line (1871-1902) - William H. Flayhart

The story
of the development of the American Merchant
Marine remains one of the most glorious chapters in the early history of the United States. Up
until the Civil War the American sailing ships
carried the Stars and Stripes around the world
with honor to the nation and profit to their
owners. The war and the concurrent change from
sail to steam brought disaster to American
shipping. By 1870 there were no American
passenger liners on the North Atlantic, a sad
blow to national pride. The American Steamship
Line, born in 1873 as a necessary response to
the failings of the American Merchant Marine
during the Civil War, quickly became the only
American transatlantic line competing with
Europe. Begun in part as an investment by the
Pennsylvania Railroad, it operated out of
Philadelphia and eventually reinstated
America's position as a competitive and
prestigious force in transatlantic crossings.