White Star Line
White Star Line was the famous British company that built the Titanic and other leading ships at the time. But the competition was increasing in England and across the globe. It had a fierce local rivalry with the Cunard Steamship Company. In 1906-07, Cunard sent off the (then) largest passenger ships, the Lusitania and the Mauretania, on their maiden voyages.
RMS Olympic of White Star Line. Photo by Historia / Shutterstock
To compete with these impressive boats, White Star Line entered a huge ship competition. Cunard’s Lusitania and Mauretania exceeded White Star Line’s “Big Four” ships in terms of speed. But this time, White Star had some extra backing.