A very rapid increase in the number of ships sailing between American and European ports began almost immediately after the end of the war of 1812 in order to meet the new need for the regular rapid transportation of mail, light cargo, and passengers. It was the increase in emigration to America that for the first time made the carrying of passengers across the Atlantic more profitable than the transportation of heavy cargo. A new type of sailing vessel, the packet, appeared to meet this new demand, and the extent of the demand very soon resulted in strong competition among several packet lines. The earliest to these was the Black Ball Line established in New York in 1816, only a year after the end of the war. The scheduled service of this famous line started with four of the new fast packets, each of 400 to 500 tons: the Pacific, the Amity, the James Cooper, and the William Thompson. During the first twenty years of service, the average time from New York to Liverpool was 23
A. 250 tons
B. 450 tons
C. 650 tons
D. 950 tons
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