RMS Lusitania
1,198 people, including 128 Americans were killed when a German submarine torpedoed the British ship Lusitania near Ireland on May 7, 1915. The ship had been travelling from New York to Southhampton, England. The sinking had a major impact on American opinion about the “Great War” going on in Europe, and indirectly led toward US involvement in World War I beginning in 1917.
What can you find out about the sinking of the Lusitania? Can you find stories? Pictures? Newspapers? Can you find a map showing where the ship sank?
Why did so many people die when the Lusitania sank? The ship, unlike the Titanic, had lifeboats for all. What happened?
What nations were at war in 1915? Was the United States at war?
Why do you think German submarines were trying to sink British ships? What do you think of attacks during a war which might cause civilians to die? What do you think of attacks which might cause citizens of nations not at war to die?
What did people think when the Lusitania sank? Is the Lusitania remembered today?
The New York Times front page from the day after the ship sank.
American Memory from the Library of Congress
Above: the Warning issued by the German Embassy in Washington, DC before the sailing
Below: the Lusitania, the world's fastest ship (of the time) in a postcard
Below: A 1916 newspaper diagram of the sinking
