On the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, this organization attempts to give voice and share an honest version of slavery and its effects in the UK - in Liverpool, in particular. Once upon a time, Liverpool was the Trans Atlantic capital of the world so the trade of humans as a commodity put Liverpool dead center of the action. Probably want to leave about 1-2 hours to fully enjoy the museum and its impact. You need the undivided attention to ensure that you have the time to fully comprehend what you're looking at. The museum attempts to deliver the topic without guilt or preaching. It tries to show the many aspects of slavery and that many countries (to include African nations) were involved in the slave trade. Unfortunately, some of the audiophones weren't working, that's not helpful. Overall, the museum delivers good information describing the role of the English in the trade, its abolition, and the continued struggles here and around the rest of the world as a result of slavery. Entry is free, so no reason not to go learn some history. It's not big, but it's a big topic and context frames your reality. read more

International Slavery Museum - Museums Near Me

This free Museum brings the world slave trade in to Focus. My past impression was , it was The US alone And slave needs for cotton and homes. But we ( America) were another cog in the giant wheel of all of Europe, England, Portuguese, and Cuba. Add Sugar,gold and silver mining, the war chiefs Taking prisoners from another village to sell over and over to traders, men,women and children. Sometimes A hundred miles and more inland. Slave traders reselling a group to another trader group until they made it to the sea for transport. A commodity To be handled. Every country on the map needed free labor and Africa had millions to draw from. A ten percent loss of life was anticipated and factored in. The slaves were made to dance for the ships company entertainment daily. . The women were raped by crew daily over a average 6 week voyage. Pregnant women were also taken and children were born under horrific conditions. Just a few things we learned. Liverpool itself was a trading hub and A Slave ship building powerhouse. Slaves layed down on a flat deck, a special level above more solid cargo, restrained. Depending on the captain slave trader, they might have been allowed deck time and a bucket wash of sea water tossed on them. The types of restraints and branding Rival early England. Punishment Masks and collars for disobeying. A wood yoke stick with restraint bar for managing a unruly slave was on display. 6 feet long, 3 inch diameter. Just a modified stick from a tree. Maybe Oak. Actually a shock day you will remember. A lot of personal reminders of how the Hawaii people were managed over sugar cane, and the American Indians over the land in the west. Profit and Profit read more

Very moving and thought provoking subject. The museum focuses on African culture and some of uncomfortable history of European countries, such as history of slave trading and poor treatment of the slaves. Allow 1-3 hours depending on the level of interest and how much are you prepared to read! The museum is free. read more

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Everyone should frequent this only one of its kind museum. It is harrowing, upsetting and very informative. I felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness, disgust and shame to be a human being. Hopefully everyone who visits, will act a little kinder throughout the rest of their lives. Please view my photographs - to have an insight as to why I was so upset and deeply moved. I visited with my black Cuban Husband - who was speechless at times, as was I. Also to be noted once you leave the museum you can see one of the actual ships that had captured slaves aboard it moored in the docks. here is some information I copied from the net - so you can see what it is all about. "The International Slavery Museum increases the understanding of transatlantic, chattel and other forms of enslavement. Through our collections, public engagement and research, we explore their impact and legacies. We are a campaigning museum that actively engages with contemporary human rights issues. We address ignorance and challenge intolerance, building partnerships with museums, communities and organisations that share our vision. History of the museum - The International Slavery Museum opened on 23 August 2007. Not only was this the date of the annual Slavery Remembrance Day, but the year 2007 was particularly significant as it was the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade. The International Slavery Museum highlights the international importance of slavery, both in a historic and contemporary context. Working in partnership with other museums with a focus on freedom and enslavement, the museum provides opportunities for greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today. It is located in Liverpool's Albert Dock, at the centre of a World Heritage site and only yards away from the dry docks where 18th century slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out." ITS A MUST SEE WHEN IN LIVERPOOL read more

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The slavery museum was very interesting but it's a very delicate subject because of the times we live in right now with the Black Lives Matter movement and the George floyd murder which is still very raw and walking through this museum, in some ways because I am white I felt a sense of shame learning how white people treated black people and sold them off like cattle in the transatlantic slave trade, how white people beat black people and tortured them like they were less than human, it was very shocking. But on the other hand we have icons like Martin Luther king jr and Oprah Winfrey and Malcolm x that white people like myself aspire too and honour and love. Those that don't see a human being but a race, the colour of someone's skin and judge them is beyond me, I can't fathom it. It was important for me to visit this museum, to appreciate its content and respect it and know that I am a good person and I don't have racist views. read more

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If you continue further up through the floors of the Liverpool Maritime Museum you will find a floor now dedicated to the history of slavery. It is a bold move by Liverpool to dedicate part of its Maritime Museum to this subject in light of the city's part in this story of suffering but coming not long after the city's apology for that contribution it has been a logical step to explore this complex part of the world's history. As you would expect from a modern museum it has many interactive parts for the kids as well as multimedia aspects to enhance the experience. It is also very broad in its depiction of slavery with talking heads docs on the subjects and strong visual pieces that highlight the complexity and relevance of the subject and its legacy to today. Most powerful are Rachel Wilberforce's collection of photos on modern sex trafficking which do much to remind you of how this is something that continues to this day and not always limited to the third world. read more

International Slavery Museum - Museums Near Me

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Amazing museum filled with all the beginnings and ends of slavery. Beautifully laid out. Literally had me in tears. read more

The International Slavery Museum, based on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum explores the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery. You can discover stories of bravery and rebellion among the enslaved people. It provides an insight to the legacy of the slave trade through interactive displays and the Black Achievers Wall is something of an inspiration. They are currently holding an exhibition appropriately named 'Beyond the Boundary' from 19th March to 12th September. As with the Maritime Museum, entrance is also free for all and it opens its doors from 10am to 5pm daily. read more

International Slavery Museum - Museums Near Me

EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS. If you're in Liverpool, there's no excuse not to see this museum. It's free and in the same area as the Beatles experience which y'all love so much. I honestly was not expecting a British museum on slavery to be this damn good and accurate. They have sections on black british contributions as well as stories about Nelson Mandela and other black world leaders. It's incredible and informative. read more

A really sad and difficult exhibit, but a very important one. I'm visiting from the United States. I am really grateful to better understand the painful history of the slave trade before it reached the Americas. Growing up we learn a lot about the slavery, and its implications on the history of the U.S. The Museum helped me better understand that history. Since visiting. I've experienced a renewed interest to better understand cultural differences and divides in the present day, and be a much more loving kind human being. read more

Places like this are a must for everyone. While majority of us are decent human beings who are not ignorant, whether we like it or not we do live in a caccoon. A bubble where things that we deem important are actually not that important at all. We need perspective in life. Now, I ain't preaching. Hell I live week to week just like anyone else waiting for the week-end and blowing a few bob on mindless banter. However there's a reason we all get mid life crisis, because time catches up with us all and you realize the repetitive nature of our daily life monotony. To get perspective all we have to do is expand our wings a little. Take a holiday outside your comfort zone, or visit a museum where it is exhibiting something like this. This place would be a good start!! Now when someone mentions slavery there is a tendency for people to start whispering or discourage dialogue. Why?? We must understand the mistakes made in past so we do not repeat them or at least are aware of the consequences of the mistakes made in the past. Did you know Liverpool used to be a major slaving port? We all accept the shocking nature of this fact lightly today but must remember it was accepted practice not to distant in our past. One must wonder which of the things we accept and take for granted today will be looked upon as appalling in future. Around 1.5 million enslaved Africans were carried by ships to and from Liverpool. The entrance is free and you can take a journey of discovery into what life was like in West Africa during those troubled times(as recently as 1865!!!!! That is only two generations ago in your family!!!) If you thought this was too long ago, you are WRONG!! So ask your Grandma about the stories her Grandma told her and she'll tell you about slavery. Most importantly I learned of the links between slavery and racism today. Not only did this cowardly practice enslave people but made a self righteous delusional link between the color of their skin and inferiority. Racism still exists and this minority of people still carry some of this delusional way of thinking perhaps passed down from their great grandparents who owned a few slaves no doubt. Now for me this was not entirely a depressing experience, but an intriguing and educational one which I recommend highly. For once in my reviews the subject matter is most important here. I implore you to discover this dark part of Liverpool's history, thank you please!! read more

This is part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum and rather than being simply an exhibition, it's a museum in its own right. I was talking about visiting there and had a friend that whinged about this section of the museum being a little ramshackle and disorganised but I had a feeling I'd prove them wrong. At least, I hoped I would. It's actually very interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed it... well, the learning process, it's kind of hard to 'enjoy' exhibitions focussed upon slavery. But there is a really positive aspect to the place, rather than concentrating on the hardships and hurt it's more about the achievements of black people and how they've stood up to racism over the years, for example in the world of sport - one of the current exhibitions centres on cricket and highlights inspirational black cricketers, and how this sport challenged the boundaries of apartheid, the British empire and colonialism. Another gawp-worthy exhibition is perhaps not for the faint-hearted, 'Trafficked' concentrates upon the plight to stop human trafficking around the world. After all, slavery takes many forms, not just that which we frequently allude to in history. They describe it as a 'modern day slave trade' and there's plenty of information discussing the fact that all over the globe, people are snatched and forced into labour, drafted onto cocoa farms, encouraged to beg on the streets, ushered into cannabis cultivation or credit card fraud or perhaps most disturbing of all, sexual exploitation. The personal stories of people whose lives have been affected by trafficking combined with the fact that the museum is working in partnership with the coalition Stop the Traffik makes it a very worthy cause and emphasises the awareness that the exhibition's raising. Plus, the whole thing is free. So I certainly wouldn't complain. I felt very enlightened in fact. read more

The transatlantic slave trade, which somehow managed to persevere against that pesky obstacle of basic human decency from the sixteenth century all the way into the 1800s, is one just shameful smear on mankind's history, especially that of Liverpool since our city got a whole lot of money from it. The International Slavery Museum is located in the same building as the Maritime Museum but is separate in its own right. In it, artifacts such as masks and shackles line the walls around a mock-up of a West African village or a slave ship's cargo hold. In one section stands a huge model of a slave village next to the grounds where the plantation owners lived. Resembling something you'd find on a model railway, it all looks quite cute and you wonder what the fuss was about. Then you look up and notice that the entire wall is covered in images of what slave punishments involved. Hangings from the neck, hangings from the ribcage, spikes through flesh and innumerable other forms of execution and torture are plastered in front of you, resembling the darkest corners of a sadist's mind. It's sickeningly educational. The final exhibition of the museum brings you back up from depression. A checkerboard pattern of famous black people hang on the walls as Martin Luther King's booming voice recites the last lines of his most famous speech. "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" Inspiring stuff. read more

Based on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum covers historical and contemporary aspects of slavery. Interactive displays which always help keep me engaged. Quite a touching exhibition that presents stories of bravery and rebellion among the enslaved people. The museum explores the reasons why millions of Africans were forced into slavery and also the crucial role that the city of Liverpool played in that process. The Black Achievers Wall 'Beyond the Boundary' exhibition is really inspiring, where you can watch interviews with a range of people who have been enslaved, as they discuss their ideas of freedom and enslavement. read more

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If you are interested in human history then this is worth a visit. It is a very thought provoking space and talks of the awful behaviour and acts that were carried out in human enslavement. The exhibits are well presented and lay out the facts to its visitors. Liverpool was a major slaving port so it is fitting that the museum is in Liverpool. The museum is on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum building. Entry is free. read more