Inquiries
Because the ship sailed to the USA from Britain, there were two inquiries: one in Britain and one in the US.
The American inquiry blamed Captain Smith because of his 'over-confidence and neglect'. It also blamed the captain of the California for not coming to the rescue. It also blamed the British Board of Trade for not having stringent enough lifeboat regulations.
The American inquiry was driven by finding someone to blame and was used as a political tool whereas the British inquiry focussed only on facts and what was known rather than speculation.
Both inquiries called for ships to built to a better standard and to have far stronger safety procedures.
The American inquiry blamed Captain Smith because of his 'over-confidence and neglect'. It also blamed the captain of the California for not coming to the rescue. It also blamed the British Board of Trade for not having stringent enough lifeboat regulations.
The American inquiry was driven by finding someone to blame and was used as a political tool whereas the British inquiry focussed only on facts and what was known rather than speculation.
Both inquiries called for ships to built to a better standard and to have far stronger safety procedures.
Lifeboats
One of the major findings of the inquires and one of the first recommendations to be made into law and then implemented was to have enough lifeboats for every person on board. Regular lifeboat drills were also made compulsory so that crew and passengers knew what to do in an emergency.
Radio Contact
Both inquiries recommended that every ship be fitted with a radio and that radio contact be maintained 24 hours a day. They also advised that all ship radios should follow international regulations.
Ice Patrols
From 1914 onwards, 16 nations that are in the North Atlantic area have worked together to provide ice patrols. Now, aeroplanes with radar and underwater sonar equipment is used to predict and track ice flow, giving ample warning to ships of dangerous conditions.
Ship Design
The claim that the Titanic was unsinkable is debatable. After the tragedy, shipping lines stopped making bold claims about their ships.
The White Star Line had three ships that were sisters: The Olympic, The Titanic and The Britannic. Only the Olympic was a success as The Titanic obviously sank and the Britannic (which was originally called The Gigantic) hit a mine in 1916 and sank within an hour. After this period, the big shipping lines didn't make their ships as luxurious or as expensive meaning that it would take many years before anybody saw ships anywhere near the size of The Titanic again.
The White Star Line had three ships that were sisters: The Olympic, The Titanic and The Britannic. Only the Olympic was a success as The Titanic obviously sank and the Britannic (which was originally called The Gigantic) hit a mine in 1916 and sank within an hour. After this period, the big shipping lines didn't make their ships as luxurious or as expensive meaning that it would take many years before anybody saw ships anywhere near the size of The Titanic again.
The Surviving Crew
As soon as the Titanic sank, the surviving crew's pay was cancelled as they were no longer serving on board. This lead to hardship for many of them and some of them found it difficult to get other jobs - sailors are very superstitious and many ships didn't want to employ crew members from a ship that sank so spectacularly.
Finding The Wreck
In 1985, the wreck of the Titanic was discovered. It was almost 4,000m below the surface. It was 13 miles away from the place where it was thought to have sunk, casting doubt on which ships were closest to it on the night of the disaster.
We have learned a lot about the disaster since this point after submersibles visited the wreck and found large amounts of evidence to help piece together what happened. Since it was found, many people have debated whether the wreck should be raised. They argue that the ship is slowly disappearing as it rusts and so it should be preserved. Others argue that the ship should be left in peace as many people died in and around the ship.
We have learned a lot about the disaster since this point after submersibles visited the wreck and found large amounts of evidence to help piece together what happened. Since it was found, many people have debated whether the wreck should be raised. They argue that the ship is slowly disappearing as it rusts and so it should be preserved. Others argue that the ship should be left in peace as many people died in and around the ship.