Liberty Ships

   “Liberty ships” were mass-produced cargo ships made as part of the emergency construction program to supply Great Britain and the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. The ships were quick and easy to build using prefabricated parts put together in an assembly-line method in 18 different shipyards, mainly the Kaiser yards. Construction initially took 230 days, but eventually a ship was produced in 42 days, and one was constructed in just under five days. A total of 2,751 “liberty ships” were built. They were given the name “liberty ships” when Franklin D. Roosevelt quoted Patrick Henry’s words, “Give me liberty or give me death” in launching them. A faster, stronger version appeared in the later years of the war known as “victory ships.”