The Great White Fleet

Stefan Ferreira

What is theGreat White Fleet?

• The group of ships consisted of seven ships.

• Three of which were used as vacation liners.

• The Antigua, Chiriqui, and Quirigua.

• All were owned by the United Fruit Company which was started in Boston, Massachusetts in 1899.

Historical Events During Travel

• During the time the ships sailed, the Panama Canal was finished in 1914.

• Allowed travel from the East coast to the West coast through the canal.

Chiriquí

• Named after a province in Panama during the completion of the canal.

• Traveled with the Quirigua.

Antigua

• Named after the island of Antigua.

Quirigua

• Named after the province in southeastern Guatemala.

• Traveled with the Chiriquí.

Transportation of Product

• These three boats were used to transport exotic produce (i.e. bananas, papayas, etc) to North America from South America.

• The boats started in 1879 weighing 109 tons and grew to be 425,000 tons by the 1940’s.

Locations

• The boats traveled from New York, Boston, Fall River, and New Orleans, to the Panama Canal Zone, Chile, Brazil, and other South American countries.

• These were also doubled as vacation locations.

Workers vs. Travelers

• The workers who worked for the United Fruit Company were treated very well. Although some pictures suggest otherwise, they were paid usually a dollar above minimum wage. The locals who would load the boats and other transportation vehicles in South American countries loved working for the United Fruit Company.

Workers vs. Travelers (cont.)• The passengers however were usually lavish rich people who could afford

to spend a month out of their work time to go on vacation. These liners doubled as an exotic cruise through South American countries such as Guatemala and Panama, and then moved on towards the west coast of the United States.

• The trips spanned anywhere from 11-21 days depending on where you were departing from and where you were headed.

Conclusion

• The workers in this specific instance were not the typical maltreated bunch that is usually portrayed when something like a work boat doubles as a cruise liner.

• On the contrary the passengers and workmen all loved the United Fruit Company and enjoyed what they did for boh workers and people alike.