A Visit to the International Slavery Museum

Located in the Albert Dock area of Liverpool, a World Heritage site, the museum has three main galleries dedicated to developing our understanding of transatlantic, and other forms of enslavement. Through its exhibitions the museum highlights the international importance of slavery, both in a historic and contemporary context.

It was, therefore, the ideal venue for NCL’s year 8 history students to visit to further their study of the transatlantic slave trade, the role played by key abolitionists and its long lasting effect on Britain. Our 40 students taking part in the visit, had the benefit of a guided tour from one of the knowledgeable curators which enabled them to have a detailed, informative look at some of the exhibits.

The students showed a sensitive response to the visit which broached some challenging topics. As one student pointed out:

“I enjoyed the tour but was really shocked to see the shackles and artefacts from the time.”

For others the guided tour added more depth to their knowledge:

“The tour was really informative, and I enjoyed learning about the Haitian Revolution.”

Miss Lehane, history teacher comments: “With some emotionally challenging material to grapple with, this was always going to be a moving and difficult visit, but it provided the perfect complement to our classroom studies. Whilst we were approaching the topic from a historical perspective, the learning we took from it cut across so many subject areas such as human rights and modern-day slavery, making this a relevant experience for understanding the world in which they live.”