Bridging histories: exploring transatlantic slavery on tour

The International Slavery Museum is heading on the road, bringing some of the history, objects and stories straight to you. In this workshop students will engage with historical sources and artworks.   

Our experienced facilitators will come to your school (in the Liverpool City Region) or you can join us at one of our amazing learning bases! Our learning bases across Liverpool will give students a sense of place and an understanding of the rich local Black communities which have been affected by this history, boosting cultural capital.

These sessions will feed into our Waterfront Transformation Project and students will have an exciting opportunity to be part of the development of our new museum.   

Booking

Our Liverpool learning bases include Wirral Met College, Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University (L1 9DE) and the Caribbean Centre (L8 1YJ).

Workshop details

Students will be guided through a series of hands-on activities with historical sources and museum artefacts to aid and deepen their understanding of transatlantic slavery. 

Each workshop consists of two sessions -

  • Where do we begin?
  • How do we connect to the history of transatlantic slavery?

Where do we begin?

Transatlantic slavery was responsible for the forced migration and enslavement of more than 12 million people from Africa to the Americas over hundreds of years. The impact of this is complex and far reaching, and understanding it is challenging but essential. In this workshop we ask the key question when approaching this massive topic: where do we begin? 

Based on the African tradition of 'call and response' students will explore the key themes of remembrance, forced migration, plantation life as well as resistance, while being empowered to bring their own lived experiences to the session.  

They will work in groups to explore key topics including forced migration, enslavement on the plantation, resistance as well as abolition. Students will be encouraged to discuss and present their findings and explore ways they can take an active step to tackle racism. 

This unique experience in a local Liverpool learning base or in your schools aims to give students a sense of place and a richer understanding of the histories and communities they are a part of.  Students will learn important object handling and primary source analysis skills. New vocabulary will be introduced with the aim of building empathy and understanding of fundamental British values. 

How do we connect to the history of transatlantic slavery?

This engaging workshop uses the African principal of 'call and response' to explore the question: How do we connect to the history of slavery?  This history has a lasting impact on the world around us globally and personally. In this session we aim to connect the threads between the historical events and the world we live in today. 

This unique learning experience illustrates the massive impact of transatlantic slavery on the world and the ways it continues to impact our lives today. Pupils will learn about key figures in Black British history and engage with the lived experiences of our experienced Black Caribbean facilitators, giving them the opportunity to gain a better understanding of diversity and difference. 

We all have lived experiences that connect us with this history. Using the Zong Massacre as a case study this session aims to create a safe and responsible space for students to explore the different ways in which we connect to this history.

Students will work in groups and use museum objects, primary source archival materials, and artworks to aid in discussions around the middle passage, racism and legacies. Young people will have opportunities to use craftivism to create artist responses to transatlantic slavery and its legacies, locally and globally. New vocabulary will be introduced and built with the aim of inspiring empathy and having rich debate. 

Practical information for your workshop

Please note that in order for our team to deliver this workshop in your school, we will require access to a quiet room or space for our facilitators and your students, given the heaviness of the subject matter. We also need access to an interactive whiteboard or similar.

Information for teachers

Please note that these are outreach sessions held in either our Liverpool learning bases or in your school. 

From January 2025 we are offering a Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery add-on workshop for £75 when you book Understanding Transatlantic Slavery on tour. This workshop will take place at 1.15pm on the day of our visit to your school. There will be an option to add this to your cart before you check out.

We will send venue maps, risk assessments and terms and conditions after booking. 

Our fee covers all workshop resources and materials, facilitation by a member of our team, plus our transport costs to get to you.

Booking

Our Liverpool learning bases include Wirral Met College, Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University (L1 9DE) and the Caribbean Centre (L8 1YJ).

Image © Mina Bihi Adjustment Bureau

Curriculum links
 

Key stage 3 History

  • How people’s lives have been shaped by Britain and how this nation has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

  • Britain’s involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, including its effects and its eventual abolition

Citizenship

  • The precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom

  • The ways in which citizens can work together to improve their communities

Photography 

Knowledge and understanding

  • How images and artefacts relate to social, environmental, cultural and/or ethical contexts, and to the time and place in which they were created

Fundamental British Values

Democracy

  • Pupils take a role in group discussion and debate.

  • Pupils work collaboratively and contribute to group decisions about evidence.

Individual liberty

  • Pupils are encouraged to voice opinions appropriately, as well as listen to and respect the opinions of others.

Tolerance and mutual respect 

  • Build an understanding of respect, tolerance and freedom, as well as individual and collective responsibilities to protecting fundamental rights.

  • Enable students to contribute to a more welcoming, tolerant and inclusive environment.

Art and Design

  • Learn about the history of art, craft, design and architecture, including periods, styles and major movements from ancient times up to the present day.

  • To increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials 

  • To analyse and evaluate their own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work

Key Stage 4 History OCR History A

Impact of Empire on Britain 1688-1730 Depth Study

  • The involvement of the British population in the slave trade including: the development of ‘slave ports’ – Bristol, Liverpool, London – growth of ideas of a racial hierarchy and impact of these ideas on settled minority communities; opposition to slavery and the slave trade

AQA History

Paper 2: Shaping the Nation

Britain: Power and the people: 1170 to the present day

Equality and rights

Minority rights: the development of multi-racial society since the Second World War; discrimination, protest and reform; the Brixton Riots, their impact, including the Scarman Report.

Protest and change: campaigning groups and their methods and impact, including the Anti-Slavery movement

Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day

  • Looking west
    Sugar and the Caribbean: piracy and plunder; the development of the slave trade, including John Hawkins; settlements in Barbados and West Indies; the economic and social impact of the slave trade on Britain.

  • Colonisation in North America: causes and consequences of British colonisation; Raleigh; Jamestown; contact and relations with indigenous peoples; commodities; Pilgrim Fathers; indentured servants; the War of Independence, loss of American colonies.

Expansion and empire

  • Expansion in Africa: causes and impact of British involvement; trade and missionary activity; South Africa; Egypt; the Scramble for Africa; Cecil Rhodes; the Boer War (1899–1902); imperial propaganda.

Britain in the 20th century

  • The legacy of Empire: ‘Windrush’ and the Caribbean migrants; the work of Claudia Jones in the UK; migration from Asia and Africa, including the role of Amin in Uganda; the Commonwealth; the Falklands War.

Understanding the modern world

Conflict across America

  • The background to the American Civil War: differences between North and South, issues of slavery, westward expansion and free states abolitionism; breakdown of the Missouri Compromise, John Brown, the roles of Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; the social and economic impact of the American Civil War on civilian populations.

American people and the 'Boom'

  • Divided society: organised crime, prohibition and their impact on society; the causes of racial tension, the experiences of immigrants and the impact of immigration; the Ku Klux Klan; the Red Scare and the significance of the Sacco and Vanzetti case.

Post-war America

  • Racial tension and developments in the Civil Rights campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s: Segregation laws; Martin Luther King and peaceful protests; Malcolm X and the Black Power Movement; Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968.

OCR History A Explaining the Modern World

The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c1730.

The economic, social and political impact in Britain of imperial expansion.

  • The impact on the British Isles of English expansion. 

  • The significance of English and British expansion in this period.

Urban Environments: Patterns of Migration (1)

  • buildings including visible evidence of changing use and building styles

  • names and signs including street names, shop fronts and signage

  • on-site information about a key event 

  • related contemporary documents linked to the site including contemporary maps and plans 

  • related oral histories either in archives or collected by learners • local history collection

Migration to Britain c1000 to c2010

  • Reasons for immigration – differing political, economic, social and religious reasons.

  • The experience and actions of immigrants – positive actions and experiences such as community cohesion and contribution, and negative experiences and resistance to discrimination. 

  • Responses to immigration – including responses from government and established communities.

  • Impact of immigration – including social, cultural, economic, religious and political impacts. 

  • The impact of immigration on Britain’s relationship with the wider world.

  • (from c1500) Ideas of national ‘identity’ – how we have differently defined ‘Englishness’ and ‘Britishness’ over time.

AS/ A level History AQA

Industrialisation and the people: Britain, c1783–1885

  • Pressures for change: the anti-slavery movement

The British Empire, c1857–1967

  • The development of Imperialism, c1857–c1890

  • The expansion of the British Empire in Africa; the Suez Canal and Egypt

  • Imperial and colonial policy; colonial policy and the scramble for Africa; informal empire

Imperial consolidation and Liberal rule, c1890–1914

  • The consolidation and expansion of the British Empire in Africa

  • Imperialism: supporters and critics; National Efficiency; the British Empire and popular culture; representations of empire

  • Imperialism challenged, 1914–1947

  • Imperialist ideals; popular culture; representations of empire

  • Relations with indigenous peoples; protest and conflict; colonial identity; the development of nationalist movements

The winds of change, 1947–1967

  • Decolonisation in Africa 

  • British colonial policy and administration; the Commonwealth

  • Trade and commerce; post-war reconstruction

  • The role and influence on attitudes to empire of: nationalist leaders, colonial administration

  • Post-colonial political, economic and cultural ties; migration; the residual impact of empire; popular culture

  • Relations with indigenous peoples; challenges to colonial rule in Africa and Asia

Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851–1964

Transformation and change, 1939–1964

  • Social changes and divisions: austerity and the impact of war; immigration and racial tensions

  • Developments in social policy: the growth of the Welfare State, including the NHS; the growth of education.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

Pupils will:

  • Understand the significance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on today’s society.

  • Recognise some of the key features of culture and life in West Africa prior to the arrival of Europeans to the continent and the start of transatlantic slavery

  • Be introduced to Black role models and celebrate their achievements and excellence

Skills

Gatsby Benchmarks

4. Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
Students will have the opportunity to talk to museum specialists about their roles and career pathways.

5. Encounters with Employers and Employees
Students will learn from museum experts about various skills needed in the sector. For example, presenting and debate, collections care and handling.

7. Encounters with Further and Higher Education
For workshops taking place in our LJMU or Wirral Met learning bases students will have the opportunity to learn in a FE/HE learning setting. Opportunities to meet staff or students can be provided.

Pupils will:

  • Use historical terms and concepts in a sophisticated and empathetic way.

  • Identify significant events, make connections and draw contrasts.

  • Analyse primary sources, including reliability and bias.

Concepts

Pupils will:

  • Be introduced to artefacts in a museum context and as primary sources of investigation.

  • Recognise cause and consequence

Attitudes

Pupils will:

  • Increase confidence in identifying and challenging racism.

  • Have an increased understanding and respect for differences and diversity.