Passageiros de terceira classe: o transporte de emigrantes na história econômica da Navigazione Generale Italiana

From the 1860s, the Italian emigration reached many entily, becoming on national problem and a source of revenue for shipping companies operating in the Atlantic. In Italy, the resources were fundamental in financing the replacement of the old sailboats by more modern steamers. Established in 1881, the Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI) had not scoped to carry passengers. It acted in trade of goods conjugated with postal services widely subsidized by the state. By incorporating that transported immigrants, in a concentration process that would transform it in the largest shipping company in Italy, the NGI opened the thriving business of emigration to the Americas. Based on reports and Balance Exercises Financial of the company between the years 1881 and 1915, papers relating to merchant shipping and emigration legislation (laws of 1888 and 1901), this paper aims to present some results of research on the importance trafficking of Italian emigrants Navigazione Generale Italiana for marking the specialization process of its fleet this kind of service.