During the nineteenth century, Liverpool was frequently referred to as the 'second city of the British empire'. Historians of modern Britain are increasingly integrating the empire into their work while, at the same time, imperial historians are focussing more and more on the impact of the empire 'at home'. Yet, in this new imperial historiography of Britain, remarkably little has been written on Liverpool's long-standing connections with the empire.

This conference aims to start rectifying this bias by exploring Liverpool's role within the British empire and the impact of the long-term colonial connection on Liverpool's economy, society, politics, culture and physical landscape. There is a plenary address by Professor John MacKenzie and papers ranging in subject from the African slave trade to East Asia and from architecture to 20th century banking.