Introduction

25 March 2007 marks two hundred years since
the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in Britain

The legacy of the slave trade in Greater Manchester

The history of the transatlantic slave trade is the story of a shared past - a dark history that shaped Britain’s economy, society and culture and left a legacy which continues to impact on all of us today. The bicentenary year provides an appropriate and timely opportunity in which to explore this legacy.

Manchester and its surrounding towns are intimately connected with the history of slavery through the development of the cotton industry. But there are other stories too, including the region's influential abolitionist movements. This year, eight museums and galleries across Greater Manchester have joined together to explore the lasting local legacy of the trade. We are looking at our collections (and buildings) in a new light, investigating their origins and revealing some of their stories through a series of events, discussion and debate.

Join us in exploring this history. Take part in what's on through events, debates and new displays. Explore stories about the objects in our collections or the wider history of the Greater Manchester area. We offer this as a starting point for discussion and welcome your comments and feedback via the online forum.

Did you know?

From 1690 to 1807 British ships transported an estimated 2.8 million Africans. About 12 million Africans in total were displaced.

The Lancashire cotton industry was dependent on slave-grown cotton.  In turn, huge quantities of Manchester textiles were traded for enslaved people in West Africa.

In 1787 ten thousand people in Manchester signed a petition to abolish the transatlantic slave trade.

From the 1840s fugitive African American slaves toured Greater Manchester, lecturing on the horrors of slavery. 

The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act did not mean the end of slavery. It continued in the British Empire until 1834 and in America until 1865.

Who are we?