Liverpool’s historical links to slavery is something everyone should learn about
In the run-up to our Springboard Programme taking place in Liverpool, our educator Chantelle Lunt writes about Liverpool’s links to slavery and the impact it had on the city. At The Black Curriculum, we aim to teach young people about Black British history all year round so they can feel empowered with a sense of identity and belonging.
Read on to learn more about Liverpool’s links to slavery.
Liverpool is a city well known for our world class football clubs, breathtakingly beautiful skyline and musical legends. We’re a multicultural hub of creativity and us scousers are renowned for our wit, humour and warmth. Something less well known, however, is Liverpool’s colonial history and the links to slavery which remain a visible presence across the city. You see, this port city was once a key player in the transatlantic slave trade and this seldomn spoken fact should be common knowledge across the city and something we teach our young people about .
Liverpool is a former fishing port which had a population of less than 5,000 people in 1700. The profits from the slave trade saw a population boom and economic growth which resulted in Liverpool being named the second city of Great Britain in the 1800s. During this time, Liverpool’s population had swelled to 78,000 because of the work generated by the slave trade. By the end of the eighteenth century Liverpool controlled five-eights of the European Slave Trade and surpassed London and Bristol to become Europe's Largest slave port . Masses of wealth were acquired by slave traders in Liverpool during this time and, consequently, much of the city’s wealth was tied to the slave trade. So much so, that Liverpool campaigned against abolition and fundraised for the Confederate Army. Even after slavery was abolished, many of Liverpool’s merchants and businessmen continued to engage in the slave trade illegally.
When slavery was finally outlawed in Liverpool, many freed black people, black students and sons of African leaders chose to settle here. This gives Liverpool an accolade to be proud of, home to the oldest black community in Europe. Some black families here are able to trace their family tree back as far as ten generations. However, it’s important to understand that many of the black people who settled here were starting from scratch, with no money or socio-economic leverage, in a city which had hitherto subjugated and marginalised them. Yet, former slave traders were paid reparations through one of the biggest government loans in the history of the UK. This money was only repaid in 2015 and it was the taxpayers who footed the bill. Meaning that many of the freed black people and their descendants were made to pay for this freedom, well into the twenty-first century. Former Liverpool slave traders were able to use the wealth, acquired through slavery and reparations, to further their socio-economic advantage. For example, John Gladstone was a slave trader from Liverpool who Claimed the single largest sum of money as compensation for slavery abolition. This money enabled him to become an influential MP and send his son, William, to the best schools in the country. William Gladstone went on to become Prime Minister of the UK in 1868. While he was significant in helping his father claim generous reparations, William Gladstone later decried slavery as, ‘the foulest crime in UK history’. Such deep racial inequalities, caused by the legacy of the slave trade, persist in Liverpool to this day.
Many of the buildings and streets in Liverpool are named after or funded by former slave traders, most of the public parks are too. This year, after protests from students, the University of Liverpool Renamed its Gladstone Hall (named after William Gladstone) in honour of black Liverpool born activist Dorothy Kuya, who helped establish the International Slavery Museum in 2007. This month we celebrated the election of our first black female Mayor and the town hall, where she was sworn in, is the same place where enslaved Africans were bought and sold hundreds of years ago. However, few people are aware of Liverpool's black history and we need to change that; we have to start at the beginning too. A key tool in this fight against racism is to challenge whitewashed history and decolonise the curriculum. Decolonising the curriculum does not mean banning discussions on colonialism and slavery, but it does mean accurately representing the facts and ensuring that sources, biases and perspectives are scrutinised. Britain teaches children very little about colonialism and, tellingly, we also have some of the highest rates of colonial pride and nostalgia in Europe. Only once people understand the history of colonialism and slavery, can they understand the entrenched legacy of racial inequality it has left behind. Such a legacy has disenfranchised many black people and given us fewer social and economic opportunities.
It is crucial that former ports of the transatlantic slave trade, like Liverpool, lead the way in efforts to decolonise the curriculum. We are home to the International Slavery Museum, the only museum in the world which explores the story of the transatlantic slave trade. Claire Benjamin, Head of Learning & Participation for National Museums Liverpool spoke about the importance of children learning about Liverpool’s role in the slave trade and colonialism:
“Liverpool’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the legacies that live on today in our society, must be central to every child and young persons’ education and understanding of Black History, Empire, Colonialism and ongoing injustices facing communities today. This is why, at National Museums Liverpool, we passionately believe that every school in the city region, should experience the International Slavery Museum, connecting the past with the present. We support children and young people in becoming active citizens, enhancing their understanding of racial inequalities and empowering them to make a difference.”
Last year it was announced that Liverpool’s waterfront will be redeveloped and the International Slavery Museum would be expanded. However, children in Liverpool are not required to visit the International Slavery Museum as part of the curriculum. Although, the International Slavery Museum does offer financial support and encourages schools to visit. Adam Duckworth, a Team Leader from the International Slavery Museum noted that:
“It’s not compulsory for schools to visit the International Slavery Museum. Although, we do state on our website that we believe it is an essential education so National Museums Liverpool have a number of bursaries available to schools to apply for, if finance is a barrier. For example, a school from a deprived area may be able to apply to have the cover of school sessions and coach travel paid for or subsidised by a pot of funding that has been donated to NML specifically for this purpose.”
Campaigns, by organisations such as The Black Curriculum, have shone a light on the need for The Black curriculum has found innovative and creative ways to engage with young people, teaching them a broad scope of black history, from black Tudors to black kings, queens, inventors and musicians. Our free Springboard Programme teaches children black history throughout time and historical facts about black people that will make them beam with pride. The Springboard Programme will be coming to Liverpool on Saturday October 2nd and is available for children aged 11-16. Please follow this link to register your child.
Written by Chantelle Lunt