Slave Trade History
Acknowledging and understanding Liverpool's role in one of history's greatest crimes against humanity: the transatlantic slave trade.
An Important Acknowledgement
Liverpool International acknowledges that much of Liverpool's historic wealth and infrastructure was built upon the suffering of millions of enslaved African people. This history cannot be erased or minimised. We believe that understanding this past is essential to building a more just future, and we support ongoing efforts to educate, commemorate, and address the lasting legacies of slavery.
Timeline
From shameful commerce to abolition.
First Slave Ship
The Liverpool Merchant becomes the first recorded slave ship to sail from Liverpool, marking the city's entry into the transatlantic trade.
Peak of the Trade
Liverpool becomes Europe's leading slave trading port, with ships carrying an estimated 1.5 million enslaved Africans. At its peak, Liverpool controlled over 60% of Britain's slave trade.
Abolitionist Movement Grows
The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade is founded. Liverpool abolitionists like William Roscoe begin campaigning despite fierce local opposition.
Roscoe's Poem
William Roscoe publishes 'The Wrongs of Africa', a powerful anti-slavery poem that gains national attention.
Roscoe Elected MP
William Roscoe is elected MP for Liverpool and votes for the abolition bill, despite representing a city whose wealth depended on the trade.
Abolition Act
The Slave Trade Act abolishes the slave trade throughout the British Empire. Liverpool's role as a slave port ends, though the city's merchants initially opposed abolition.
Slavery Abolished
The Slavery Abolition Act frees all enslaved people in the British Empire. Some Liverpool families received compensation payments for 'loss of property'.
How Slavery Built Liverpool
The wealth generated by the slave trade transformed Liverpool from a small port into one of the world's great cities.
Docks and Infrastructure
The wealth from the slave trade funded the construction of Liverpool's famous docks, warehouses, and much of the Georgian city centre that still stands today.
Banking and Insurance
Financial institutions grew to service the trade, with banks, insurance companies, and merchant houses establishing Liverpool as a major commercial centre.
Manufacturing Links
Goods from Lancashire and the Midlands were traded for enslaved people, creating supply chains that fuelled the Industrial Revolution.
Population Growth
The port's prosperity drew workers from across Britain and Ireland, transforming Liverpool from a small fishing village into one of Britain's largest cities.
Liverpool's Abolitionists
Despite Liverpool's dependence on the slave trade, courageous individuals spoke out and worked for abolition.
William Roscoe
1753-1831
Lawyer, historian, poet, and MP for Liverpool. A leading abolitionist who courageously opposed the trade despite representing a city built on slave wealth.
James Ramsay
1733-1789
Clergyman who lived in the Caribbean and witnessed slavery firsthand. His writings influenced the abolitionist movement.
Edward Rushton
1756-1814
Liverpool poet who was blinded while working on a slave ship. Became a fierce critic of slavery through his poetry.
William Rathbone IV
1757-1809
Quaker merchant who refused to profit from slavery and supported abolition, founding a dynasty of Liverpool philanthropists.
Remembrance and Education
Liverpool leads the way in commemorating and educating about the slave trade.
International Slavery Museum
Albert Dock
World-class museum exploring the history and legacy of transatlantic slavery, opened in 2007 on the bicentenary of abolition.
Memorial to Enslaved People
Pier Head
Bronze sculpture by Stephen Broadbent commemorating the millions who suffered in the trade.
Slavery Remembrance Day
Citywide
Annual commemoration on 23 August, UNESCO's International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade.
Learn More
Visit the International Slavery Museum at Albert Dock to explore this history in depth.
International Slavery Museum