More resources
Archives, libraries & museums
This page presents some of the archival and library resources available on the study of slavery along with some museums that hold collections in the area. The listings below cover UK collections and a few key international collections.
UK collections
International Slavery Museum
National Museums of Liverpool is creating a new International Slavery Museum, created from the expansion of the Transatlantic Slavery Gallery (closing on 24 June 2007) in the Merseyside Maritime Museum, to promote the understanding of transatlantic slavery and its enduring impact. The new museum will open on 23 August 2007, with a new research institute opening in 2010.
Address: International Slavery Museum, Dock Traffic Office, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AXTel: 0151 478 4499
The Museum in Docklands
A new permanent gallery, London, Sugar and Slavery opens on 10 November 2007 at the Museum in Docklands (part of the Museum of London Group) and will examine the city's involvement in transatlantic slavery and its legacy on the capital. The Museum intends to play its part in unmasking London as a slave city, developing community partnerships and encouraging new audiences to get involved in researching and interpreting their heritage. The Museum of London Group is planning to develop international links with Cuba, the West Indies and Africa as part of a series of events in 2007-8 to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.
Address: Museum in Docklands, No1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4ALTel: 0870 444 3857
email: info@museumindocklands.org.uk
Wilberforce House Museum, Hull
Wilberforce House Museum is the family home of William Wilberforce. He was born here in 1759 and he lived here both as a child and as an adult when he represented Hull and then Yorkshire in Parliament. Hull City Council acquired the house in 1906 and founded the first anti-slavery museum within it. It reopened in March 2007 after refurbishment and the creation of new galleries and displays relating to slavery, past and present, and the emancipation movement. An exciting feature of this development is the display and conservation of William Wilberforce's personal library which will be presented to the public in its entirety, for the very first time.
Address: Wilberforce House Museum, 23-25 High Street, Hull HU1 1NQThe British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Bristol
A major exhibition entitled 'Breaking the Chains: The fight to end slavery' opens on 23 April 2007. It has six dedicated interactive galleries containing authentic artefacts, film, music, photography, video and personal testimonies providing a multi-sensory experience to visitors. The museum's permanent exhibitions present the 500 year history and legacy of Britain's overseas empire, which naturally includes slavery.
Address: The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Clock Tower Yard, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QHTel: 0117 925 4980
email: admin@empiremuseum.co.uk
National Maritime Museum, London
The National Maritime Museum is running an extensive range of events during 2007 to remember the millions of people who suffered and died through enslavement, to honour those who resisted it and pay tribute to those who campaigned for abolition.
This programme includes film, poetry, music, discussion and debate for a range of audiences of all ages.
Address: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 9NFTel: 020 8858 4422
International collections
United States National Slavery Museum
The U.S. National Slavery Museum is the only museum in America among more than 16,000 that has as its primary mission education, re-education and policy formation regarding slavery in America and its enduring legacy. This critical void is being filled by the U.S. National Slavery Museum and the process will culminate in its 2007 public opening. The roots and lasting impact of the institution of slavery from its beginning in the 17th century was an everyday part of life in the United States and its legacy continues to influence and shape America. Moreover, it was during this time that the economic, political and social foundations of America were established. It was during this time that the rigidity of race relationships was established. It was also during this time that many survived and triumphed. The U.S. National Slavery Museum will be a place where these voices and stories finally get to be heard and told loud and clear.
Address: The US National Slavery Museum, 1320 Central Park Boulevard, Suite 251, Fredericksburg, VA 22401, USATel: + 1 540 548-8818
email: info@usnsm.org
The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition
The Gilder Lehrman Center, based at Yale University, strives to make a vital contribution to the understanding of slavery and its role in the development of the modern world. While the Center's primary focus has been on scholarly research, it also seeks to bridge the divide between scholarship and public knowledge by opening channels of communication between the scholarly community and the wider public. In collaboration with secondary schools, museums, parks, historical societies, and other related institutions, the Center facilitates a locally rooted understanding of the global impact of slavery. To foster this understanding, the Center offers a variety of programs including conferences, lectures, workshops, fellowships, and the Frederick Douglass Book Prize, an award for the most outstanding book in English on the subject of slavery, resistance, or abolition across time and all nations.
Address: Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, PO Box 208206, New Haven, CT 06520-8206, USATel: + 1 203 432 3339
email: gilder.lehrman.center@yale.edu
Mémoire St Barth | Histoire de Saint-Barthélemy (Comité de Liaison et d'Application des Sources Historiques)
Resources dedicated to the history of Saint-Barthélemy (FWI) : slave trade, slavery, their abolition and impact on this island of the Lesser Antilles.
email: logbook@memoirestbarth.com