British Online Archives

This collection offers a window into one of the darkest episodes of Britain’s history. Over the course of the 18th century, Liverpool became Britain’s busiest and most profitable slave-trading port in the country. The practice of slavery was abolished in 1807 but not before British merchants had gained unimaginable wealth at the expense of enslaved African people, who were sold to new markets in the Americas.

This collection contains the papers of merchants who were involved in this transatlantic slave trade during the period 1754-1792. The documents cover all aspects of the trade, from payments made by slave owners to dealings with groups along the coast of West Africa. The collection provides a sinister insight into the dehumanisation of slaves and the profit motive that fuelled the practice during the 18th century.

In order to aid with the context and navigation of this collection, a contextual essay and archive guide by Professor Kenneth Morgan is attached. Additionally, the papers of captain and ship-owner James Brown, from the post-abolition period (ca. 1807-1851), are included as a supplement.

By the 1740s Liverpool overtook Bristol and London to become the leading British slave-trading port, whether measured by the number of ships dispatched to Africa or the number of slaves carried across the Atlantic Ocean.

Kenneth Morgan, Brunel University

Key Documents

Document

Correspondence with David Tuohy, 1779-1788

Document

Letter book and correspondence of Robert Bostock, 1779-1792

Document

Letter book of Thomas Leyland, 1786-1788

Document

View from the Enterprise, 1803-1804

Related Collections

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Slavery Through Time: from Enslavers to Abolitionists, 1675-1865

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Slave Trading Records from William Davenport & Co., 1745-1797

Collection

Slavery, Exploitation and Trade in the West Indies, 1759-1832

Collection

Scottish Trade with Africa and the West Indies in the Early 18th century, 1694-1709

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Insights

Starting out initially as a small fishing and farming village, the Liverpool region’s development was accelerated in the mid-17th century due to Britain’s increasingly lucrative trade in the Americas.

When the trading of enslaved Africans was proliferating at the start of the 18th century, Liverpool was a natural link between Britain and emerging markets in the Americas.

By the mid-18th century Liverpool was Britain’s leading exporter of enslaved people and by the end of the 18th century the city accounted for 80% of Britain’s activity in the transatlantic slave trade. Professor Kenneth Morgan states that throughout the entire period Liverpool’s ships had delivered over 1 million enslaved people to the New World.

The candid tone of these documents may shock us now, but at the time the abhorrent practice was both legal and encouraged. This is demonstrated in the matter-of-fact nature of the documents, which includes financial documents, order papers, and private correspondence from leading figures involved in the industry.