Canadian-born Samuel Cunard made his fortune from shipping, in particular the trans-atlantic routes.

Portrait of Samuel Cunard

His company, Cunard Steamships Ltd, began business in 1840 when its first steamship, the Britannia, sailed from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with Cunard and 63 other passengers on board. This journey marked the beginning of a regular passenger and cargo service between Liverpool and North America.

The Cunard Yanks

In the late 1940s the fortnightly Cunard service to New York provided a vital cultural link between the USA and Liverpool. Those scousers fortunate enough to be in the employment of Cunard were exposed to the cutting edge of cultural developments - which would in turn influence on 1960's Liverpool and the Mersey Sound.
   The story of the 'Cunard Yanks' is told in a documemntary by Souled Out Films. Details can be found here.

Below is a trailer for Cunard Yanks