The Merseyside Maritime Museum covers
the history of Liverpool from the 1200s
when it was just a small town, up to the
Docks expanding from the 1500s, then the
Docks closing in 1972 to be converted to
housing, shops and tourism.
1100s - Liverpool was a real small
town for farmers and fishermen.
1207 - King John made Liverpool a
Borough, using the Port for troops to
travel to Ireland. He was Lord of Ireland
from 1177, having to conduct military
campaigns to keep control.
1500s - the Port at Liverpool began
expanding with trade around the
world.
Imports of Tobacco, Sugar, Tea,
Spices, Rum, Textiles, Timber and more
led to huge Warehouses being built at
Liverpool Docks and Canals to distribute
the goods around England.
Exports from Liverpool included Salt,
Coal, Earthenware, Textiles, Metal
Products, Leather and Weapons.
1586 - Tobacco was being imported into
Britain from Virginia in America, leading
to a vast Tobacco Warehouse being built
at Liverpool.
1600s - Liverpool ships were trading
with Africa in goods such as Textiles and
Guns.
1607 - Britain began taking control of
America, where trade with Tobacco and
Cotton became a huge industry.
1608 - the first British sail ships
began trading with India for Spices such
as Pepper, Turmeric, and Cumin.
1625 - the British took control of
Barbados in the West Indies, off the
southeast coast of Florida in America,
setting up Sugar
Plantations with poor whites from
Britain and Ireland working there,
basically as slaves.
The Sugar Plantations were also used
to produce Rum, leading to a vast Rum
Warehouse being built at Liverpool
Docks.
1650s - the British began drinking Tea
imported from China, expensive at the
time as it was only imported in small
amounts.
1860s - many Chinese people began
working on Liverpool ships and settling
in Liverpool.
1660s - Liverpool became a top
departure port for many Emigrants
traveling to America, Canada and
Australia on Sail Ships that would take
over 30 days to get to America, or 10
weeks to Australia.
Over 9 million people emigrated from
Liverpool up to 1930.
1699 - the first recorded slave ship
from Liverpool named the Liverpool
Merchant, took goods to Africa, then
picked up 220 African slaves to be
transported to Barbados to work on the
British Sugar Plantations, then the Ships
would load up with Sugar and Rum to take
back to Liverpool. Around 1.5 million
African Slaves were transported by
Liverpool ships to the West Indies and
America. More
Information.
1776 - America declared independence
from Briton after refusing to pay Taxes
to the British Parliament, setting off a
number of battles.
1783 - America gained Independence, ending the
battles with Briton.
1816 - the 127 mile long Liverpool to
Leeds Canal
opened taking boats up to 62 feet
long.
1830 - the 34 mile long Liverpool and
Manchester Railway
opened, connecting these two large
northern Cities.
1833 - the Slavery
Abolition Act ended Slavery in the
British Empire.
1840 - the 207ft long Steam Ship
carrying 115 passengers - RMS
Britannia of the Cunard Line, began
operating between Liverpool and Boston in
the US, cutting travel time down to 12
days to cross the 3,300 miles.
1845 - 1852 - the Irish Potato
Famine led to over 1 million people
leaving Ireland, many to Liverpool for
work, and many emigrated on ships from
Liverpool. The crossing from Dublin to
Liverpool by boat is 134 miles.
1857 - Britain took control of
India.
1860s - fast Clipper Sail
Ships were being used to import vast
amounts of Tea from China to ports in
Britain such as Liverpool.
1860s - 1960s - over 100,000 British
Children were sent to countries such
as Canada and Australia, some orphans,
some from poor families that could not
care for them, to increase populations
and provide cheep labour.
1865 - the United States abolished
Slavery
at the end of the American Civil War.
1894 - the 36 mile long Liverpool to
Manchester Canal
opened taking ships up to 600ft long.
1907 - the Port of
Liverpool building was completed to
run trade at Liverpool Docks.
1907 - the 787ft long Liners -
Lusitania
and Mauritania of the Cunard Line began
operating between Liverpool and New York,
cutting the crossing to 4 days, carrying
2,000 passengers, a time of mass
migration to the US.
1911 - the Royal Liver
Building was completed at Liverpool
Docks for the Royal Liver Assurance
group, for Life Insurance.
1917 - the Cunard
Building was built at the Liverpool
Docks as the headquarters of their
shipping business, with the Cunard, Royal
Liver and Port of Liverpool buildings
becoming known as The Three Graces, the
top photo of Liverpool.
1919 - Cunard moved their larger
Emigrant Liners to the Port of
Southampton on the south coast of
England, closer to London.
1945 - 1985 - Australia
offered financial assistance for European
people to relocate to Australia, with
about 2 million Britons moving, with the
Liners taking between 32 and 40 days to
make the crossing.
The Second World War showed Australia
they could easily be taken over during
War, so decided to increase the
population so they could defend
themselves better.
1972 - most of the Liverpool Docks were
closed to be sold for Housing, Shops and
Tourism.
1980 - the Merseyside Maritime
Museum
opened at Liverpool Docks.
1988 - Tate
Britain opened at Liverpool
Docks.
1990 - the Beatles Story
Museum opened at Liverpool Docks.
2007 - Liverpool
Cruise Terminal was opened at
Liverpool docks capable of taking many of
the largest Cruise Ships such as the
150,000 ton, 1,132ft long QM2.
2011 - the Museum of
Liverpool opened at Liverpool
Docks.
2014 - the Titanic
Hotel opened in a former Rum
Warehouse.
2015 - Statues of
the Beatles were erected at Liverpool
Docks.
2015 - the British Music
Experience opened in the Cunard
Building at Liverpool Docks.
2021 - the Tobacco
Warehouse at Liverpool Dock was
converted into over 500 apartments.
|