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On this day in 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened. It was the first inter-city railway in the world, but beyond the headlines are difficult stories that we should explore further – including its connection to slavery. [1/5]
#OnThisDay #OTD
![On this day in 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened. It was the first inter-city railway in the world, but beyond the headlines are difficult stories that we should explore further – including its connection to slavery. [1/5] #OnThisDay #OTD](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eh82UJfXkAAzZjz.jpg "On this day in 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened. It was the first inter-city railway in the world, but beyond the headlines are difficult stories that we should explore further – including its connection to slavery. [1/5] #OnThisDay #OTD")
#OnThisDay #OTD
One of the primary motivations for building the line was to transport raw materials faster and more reliably between the factories in Manchester and the port of Liverpool. This included cotton, sugarcane and tobacco - harvested by enslaved people. [2/5]
![One of the primary motivations for building the line was to transport raw materials faster and more reliably between the factories in Manchester and the port of Liverpool. This included cotton, sugarcane and tobacco - harvested by enslaved people. [2/5]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eh82i9xXgAEDCsk.jpg "One of the primary motivations for building the line was to transport raw materials faster and more reliably between the factories in Manchester and the port of Liverpool. This included cotton, sugarcane and tobacco - harvested by enslaved people. [2/5]")
The line revolutionised transport and technology, setting the pace for railways that followed.
When slavery was abolished, enslavers received compensation from the UK government. Some of these individuals played key roles in the development and funding of the early railway.[3/5]
![The line revolutionised transport and technology, setting the pace for railways that followed.When slavery was abolished, enslavers received compensation from the UK government. Some of these individuals played key roles in the development and funding of the early railway.[3/5]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eh84NN6XkAA-Ed5.jpg "The line revolutionised transport and technology, setting the pace for railways that followed.When slavery was abolished, enslavers received compensation from the UK government. Some of these individuals played key roles in the development and funding of the early railway.[3/5]")
When slavery was abolished, enslavers received compensation from the UK government. Some of these individuals played key roles in the development and funding of the early railway.[3/5]
We found this piece by Gareth Dennis, which offers some interesting and timely insight. [4/5] https://www.londonreconnections.com/2020/slavery-and-the-railways-part-1-acknowledging-the-past/
Alongside our colleagues at Science and Industry Museum, we will be researching and sharing a broader depiction of the industrial history of this line and, in due course, the funding of the wider UK rail network. [5/5]
