The America class was the replacement for the Britannia class, the Cunard Line

Cunard Line

Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...

's initial fleet of wooden paddle steamer

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

s. Entering service starting in 1848, these six vessels permitted Cunard to double its schedule to weekly departures from Liverpool, with alternating sailings to New York. The new ships were also designed to meet new competition from the United States.

Larger and more powerful than the Britannias they replaced, the initial America quartette proved to be steady performers. In 1849, they averaged 13 days 1 hour to New York via Halafax and 12 days 2 hours homeward. Two upgraded units, Asia and Africa, were ordered for delivery in 1850. However, the new Cunard liners were quickly eclipsed by the Collins

Collins Line

The Collins Line is the common name for the American shipping company started by Israel Collins and then built up by his son Edward Knight Collins...

 Atlantic class in both luxury and speed.

All six Americas had long careers with Cunard. The initial units completed about 100 round trips and Europa lasted in the fleet for nineteen years. The final two ships, Asia and Africa completed 120 round trip voyages, the record for wooden steamships on the Atlantic route, and were not sold until 1868.

Development and design

By 1845, steamships carried half of the transatlantic saloon passengers and Cunard dominated this business. While the Great Western Steamship Company

Great Western Steamship Company

The Great Western Steam Ship Company operated the first regular transatlantic steamer service from 1838 until 1846. Related to the Great Western Railway, the company's directors expected their new enterprise to achieve the position that was ultimately secured by the Cunard Line...

 failed the next year, Samuel Cunard

Samuel Cunard

Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was a British shipping magnate, born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line...

 learned that the Congress enacted a subsidy of $400,000 to establish a new American steamship line for the Atlantic passenger trade. At that time, Cunard was receiving a mail subsidy from the Admiralty of £85,000 per year to operate five steamers on a fortnightly service from Liverpool to Halifax and then onto Boston. Cunard argued that to meet the new competition, service must be increased to weekly, with alternative sailings to New York. This required the construction of four new ships that were larger than the Britannia Class. The Admiralty agreed and increased the subsidy by £60,000 per year to help finance the expanded venture.

The first four units of the new America Class were 60% larger than the original Britannias and 90% more powerful. Coal consumption was 60 tons per day, an increase of 50% from the earlier class. The engines and related machinery cost £50,000 of the total price of £90,000 per ship. Fitted for 140 saloon passengers, accommodations were still sparse. America and Niagara represented additions to the fleet while Europa and Canada replaced Britannia and Acadia, which were then sold to the North German Confederation Navy.

The final two units were commissioned in 1850 and were another 20% larger with 40% more power. Fitted for 10 additional passengers, Asia replaced Caledonia and Africa replaced Hibernia.

America

Won the Blue Riband on her maiden 1848 voyage with a run from Liverpool–Halifax of 9 days 16 minutes, averaging 11.7 kn (14.2 mph; 22.9 km/h). America maintained Cunard's Halifax route when most of the rest of the fleet trooped during the Crimean War

Crimean War

The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...

. She was chartered to the Allan Line in 1863 before being sold for conversion to a sailing ship. The former America was broken up in 1875.

Niagara

Was chartered as a troop carrier during the Crimean War. Niagara remained in the fleet until 1866 when she was sold for conversion to a sailing ship.

Europa

Was the fastest of the initial quartette and won the Blue Riband with a October 1848 Liverpool–Halifax voyage of 8 days 23 hours averaging 11.79 kn (14.4 mph; 23.1 km/h). The next year, Europa collided with the barque

Barque

A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...

 Charles Bartlett outside of New York. While Europa suffered no casualties, 88 out of 130 aboard Bartlett died when she. Europa was also chartered as a troopship during the Crimean War and continued in Cunard service until 1867 when she was sold and converted to a sailing ship.

Canada

Won the eastbound record in 1849 with a Halifax–Liverpool voyage of 8 days 12 hours 44 minutes, an average of 12.38 kn (15.1 mph; 24.3 km/h). During the Crimean War, she remained on the Halifax route and was sold for conversion to a sailing ship in 1866.

Asia

Took the Blue Riband in May 1850 with a Liverpool–Halifax run of 8 days 14 hours 50 minutes, an average of 12.25 kn (14.9 mph; 24 km/h). Asia also remained on the Halifax route during the Crimean War. Gibbs reports that she may have grounded near Cape Race and beached at St Johns in a sinking condition. Asia was sold in 1868 and converted to sail. She was finally broken up in 1883.

Africa

In October 1851, Africa struck Copeland Rock (Ireland) and was seriously damaged. She remained on the Halifax route during the Crimean War and her January 1856 departure to New York reopened that service. Africa was sold for refit as a sailing ship in 1868.