page_title: Maritime history of the United States (1900–1999)
section_title: 1910s
hierarchical_section_title: Maritime history of the United States (1900–1999) / 1910s
context_page_description: The United States merchant marine forces matured during the maritime history of the United States (1900–1999).
context_section_description: On March 25, 1901, Harry Lundeberg was born.  On March 1, 1906, Joseph Curran was born.
  RMS Titanic was the largest steamship in the world when the vessel sank in 1912. Launched in 1938, RMS Queen Elizabeth was the largest passenger steamship ever built. Launched in 1969, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
  In 1914, Paul Hall (labor leader) was born in Inglenook, Alabama.
  During this period, Andrew Furuseth successfully pushed for legislative reforms that eventually became the Seamen's Act of 1915.
  During World War I there was a shipping boom and ISU's membership included more than 115,000 dues-paying members. However, when the boom ended, the ISU's membership shrunk to 50,000.
  In 1915, the Seamen's Act of 1915 became law. The act fundamentally changed the life of the American sailor. Among other things, it:
  abolished the practice of imprisonment for seamen who deserted their ship
  reduced the penalties for disobedience
  regulated a seaman's working hours both at sea and in port
  established a minimum quality for ship's food
  regulated the payment of seamen's wages
  required specific levels of safety, particularly the provision of lifeboats
  required a minimum percentage of the seamen aboard a vessel to be qualified Able Seamen
  required a minimum of 75 percent of the seamen aboard a vessel to understand the language spoken by the officers
  President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Act to Create the United States Coast Guard on January 28, 1915. This Act effectively combined the Revenue Cutter Service with the Lifesaving Service and formed the new United States Coast Guard. Gradually the Coast Guard would grow to incorporate the United States Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the Navigation and Steamboat Inspection Service in 1942.
caption: A steamship cleaning a whale, circa 1900.
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