Explore The History And Heritage Of Manchester, UK, Manchester, England (B)

Why visit Manchester? For the football and the vibrant contemporary music scene? For shopping, galleries and easy access to the Peak District National Park? They are all good reasons, but on my recent visit I was in search of the history and heritage of Manchester, and there was a surprising amount to be seen.

Manchester was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and has a fascinating industrial and social history. I became more aware of this when I heard a talk by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester. He told us how – despite their poverty – workers in Manchester had refused to handle slave-produced cotton during the American Civil War. The city was later at the forefront of trade unionism and of the suffragette movement, and it was now a leader in green activism.

As business prospered it played its own part in social progress. The great public buildings of Manchester, built as the city’s wealth increased, were all linked to a philosophy that combined philanthropy with self-help. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).