The Slave Trade and Liverpool’s Old Town: History You Need to Know
No honest account of Old Town Liverpool is possible without confronting the role of the transatlantic slave trade in building the city’s wealth and architecture. Between 1699 and 1807, Liverpool was the world’s largest slaving port — and the profits of that trade are embedded in every Georgian building on Castle Street and Water Street.
The Scale of Liverpool’s Involvement
Liverpool merchants financed and operated more than 4,000 slaving voyages between the late 17th century and the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807. These voyages transported an estimated 1.5 million enslaved Africans from West Africa to the Americas. At the peak of the trade in the 1790s, Liverpool ships were responsible for the majority of all British slaving voyages. The wealth generated by this trade funded the civic buildings, merchant houses and commercial architecture of Old Town Liverpool.
The Streets of Old Town
Almost every major building in Old Town Liverpool has a connection to the slave trade, either directly through the wealth of its builders or indirectly through the commercial infrastructure it supported. Castle Street’s banks financed slaving voyages. Water Street’s counting houses processed the profits. The magnificent Liverpool Town Hall was built during the period when the trade was at its height.
Engaging with the History
Visitors to Old Town Liverpool can engage with this history in several ways. The International Slavery Museum at the Albert Dock is the most comprehensive resource, presenting the history of the trade and its legacy in full. Equiano Place, a new public space near Exchange Flags, commemorates Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved man who gained his freedom and became one of the most prominent abolitionists of the 18th century.
Moving Forward
Understanding the full history of Old Town Liverpool — including its darkest chapters — is essential to engaging with the city honestly. Many of Liverpool’s most prominent institutions and families have undertaken programmes of historical reckoning in recent years, acknowledging the connections between their wealth or heritage and the slave trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a slavery museum in Liverpool?
Yes. The International Slavery Museum is located at the Albert Dock. It is one of the world’s leading museums dedicated to the history of the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies. Entry is free.
Did all of Liverpool’s wealth come from the slave trade?
The slave trade was a major source of wealth in 18th-century Liverpool, but the city’s commercial base expanded significantly after abolition in 1807, particularly through the cotton trade and general maritime commerce.
Explore Old Town Liverpool on the Action Path
Walk the historic streets of Liverpool’s Old Town with purpose and awareness. Our self-guided Action Path connects the city’s most powerful locations in one conscious urban journey.