Founded in 1850, Liverpool, Philadelphia and New York Steamship Company, better known as the Inman Line, was one of the three biggest British Companies in the 19th Century.
The company was wide known for embracing new technologies and led them to gain better ships and making leaps in the oceanic travelling. The City of Glasgow of 1850, their first ship, made the company led the drive to replace wood-hulled paddle steamers with iron-hulled screw-propelled ships.
This company was also known for having their ships been named after Cities, like the City of Rome or City of Paris.
Between 1850 and 1870, their only rival was the Cunard Line, which made the company push forward to surpass them, including the Blue Riband, but in 1870, the R.M.S. Oceanic made the maiden voyage of the White Star Line, and the competition got hot. But with the Panic of 1873, made the shipping company suffer.
In 1881, the company ordered the construction of the City of Rome, which was rejected in 1882 by the company after 6 voyages, because it did not meet the company’s expectation. And just before the maiden voyage, William Inman, founder of the company, died, and the company suffered with his leadership.
In 1883, the company was reorganized has the Inman and International Steamship Company and in 1888 they received the breaking-record liners City of Paris and City of New York. But the UK Government rescinded the mail contract and after a while, the US Congress made a bid for the company, and in 1893, the company was acquired by the American Line.

The American Line was founded by the least expecting company, the Pennsylvania Railways, but soon after, the railways got out of the shipping business. Though smaller at first, the company became big with the acquisition of the Inman Line in 1893. All the Inman ships kept their names, with the “City” one.
In 1902 the company became part of the International Mercantile Marine Company, the same trust that was in control of the White Star Line. In 1912, both companies almost had a disaster. The New York was docked at the Southampton Docks on April 10th, 1912. That same day, the White Star Liner R.M.S. Titanic started her maiden voyage the same day. When the Titanic was passing by the New York, which was docked along side of the 1899 R.M.S. Oceanic, the Titanic’s engines made the ropes of the New York cut and the stern of the ship almost hit the Titanic. Though it had not hit, it was a close call. The New York was re-docked, and Titanic continued in her maiden voyage, until her sinking 5 days later.
In 1932, after the IMMC trust failed, all the American companies, including the American Line, were brough together as one big American company, the United States Line.
 

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