Duplicate this page before you start, and write all your answers in your own copy.
Most of what you already know about the Titanic probably came from a film. Today we start with one man who was on it, and one question about him that nobody alive can answer for certain.
Captain Edward John Smith, photographed aboard the Olympic; published in 1912, photographer unknown (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Why did Captain Smith keep full speed in waters where icebergs had been reported?
Before we begin, here is the question the whole unit is working towards. In the May 2026 IB examination session, one of the six prescribed essay titles read:
To what extent is interpretation a reliable tool in the production of knowledge? Answer with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.
This title was set for an earlier year group, so it is not one you will write on. Keep it in mind over the next five lessons: in the last one, you will use everything we have met to answer it.
Open the sections below as we work through them together.