This article is about the city. For the football club, see Liverpool F.C.. For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation).
| Liverpool | ||
| — Metropolitan borough, City District of Liverpool City Region — | ||
| Clockwise from the upper left: the Cavern Club, the Three Graces of the Pier Head (the Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building), the skyline of Liverpool's commercial district, the Albert Dock and St George's Hall | ||
| | ||
| Nickname(s): The Pool, The World In One City[1] | ||
Liverpool (
/ˈlɪvəpuːl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Liverpool was 445,200[3] and was part of a larger urban area of 816,216.[4]
/ˈlɪvəpuːl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Liverpool was 445,200[3] and was part of a larger urban area of 816,216.[4]Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic Slave Trade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect.[5] Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically, were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
The skyline of Liverpool, December 2008.
The popularity of The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the other groups from the Merseybeat era contributes to Liverpool's status as a tourist destination; tourism forms a significant part of the city's modern economy. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and it held the European Capital of Culture title together with Stavanger, Norway, in 2008.[6]
Several areas of the city centre were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. Referred to as the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, the site comprises six separate locations in the city including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street and includes many of the city's most famous landmarks.[7]
Liverpool is also the home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. Matches between the two clubs are known as the Merseyside derby.
History
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Main article: History of Liverpool
A map of Liverpool from 1947
A map of Liverpool's original seven streets (north to the left)
King John's letters patent of 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool, but by the middle of the 16th century the population was still only around 500. The original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted a royal charter, making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in a H shape:
- Bank Street (now Water Street)
- Castle Street
- Chapel Street
- Dale Street
- Juggler Street (now High Street)
- Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street)
- Whiteacre Street (now Old Hall Street)
In the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen-day siege in 1644. In 1699 Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, that same year its first slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa. As trade from the West Indies surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as the River Dee silted up, Liverpool began to grow. The first commercial wet dock was built in Liverpool in 1715.[8][9] Substantial profits from the slave trade helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow. By the close of the century Liverpool controlled over 41% of Europe's and 80% of Britain's slave commerce.
In the early 19th century Liverpool played a major role in the Antarctic sealing industry, in recognition of which Liverpool Beach in the South Shetland Islands is named after the city.[10]
By the start of the 19th century, 40% of the world's trade was passing through Liverpool and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. In 1830, Liverpool and Manchester became the first cities to have an intercity rail link, through the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during the 1840s when Irish migrants began arriving by the hundreds of thousands as a result of the Great Famine. By 1851, approximately 25% of the city's population was Irish-born. During the first part of the 20th century, Liverpool was drawing immigrants from across Europe.
Inaugural journey of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, the first ever commercial railway line.
20th century
Liverpool was the port of registry of the ill fated ocean liner, the RMS Titanic. The words Titanic, Liverpool could be seen on the stern of the ship that sank in April 1912 with the loss of 1,517 lives (including numerous Liverpudlians). A Memorial to the Engine Room Heroes of the Titanic is located on the city's waterfront.
The Housing Act 1919 resulted in mass council housing building across Liverpool during the 1920s and 1930s. Thousands of families were rehoused from the inner-city to new suburban housing estates, based on the pretext that this would improve their standard of living, though this is largely subjective. A large number of private homes were also built during this era. The process continued after the Second World War, with many more new housing estates being built in suburban areas, while some of the older inner city areas were also redeveloped for new homes.
The Great Depression of the early 1930s saw unemployment in the city peak at around 30%.
During the Second World War there were 80 air-raids on Merseyside, killing 2,500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. Much of the immediate reconstruction of the city centre has been deeply unpopular, and was as flawed as much town planning renewal in the 1950s and 1960s – the portions of the city's heritage that survived German bombing could not withstand the efforts of urban renewal. Since 1952 Liverpool has been twinned with Cologne, Germany, a city which also experienced severe aerial bombing during the war.
Like most British cities and industrialised towns, Liverpool became home to a significant number of Commonwealth immigrants after World War II, mostly settling in older inner city areas such as Toxteth. However, a significant West Indian black community had existed in the city as long ago as the first two decades of the 20th century. In 1919, the city was the scene of one of Britain's first - if not the very first - race riot when local white people took part in violent protests against the city's black residents. A black man was killed by a lynch mob in the city that year.[11]
In the 1960s Liverpool was the centre of the "Merseybeat" sound which became synonymous with The Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian rock bands.
From the mid-1970s onwards Liverpool's docks and traditional manufacturing industries went into sharp decline. The advent of containerisation meant that the city's docks became largely obsolete. By the early 1980s unemployment rates in Liverpool were once again among the highest in the UK,[12] standing at 17% by January 1982 - although this was just over half of the level of unemployment that was affecting the city in an economic downturn 50 years previously.[13]
In recent years, Liverpool's economy has recovered and has experienced growth rates higher than the national average since the mid-nineties.
20 Forthlin Road is one of many tourist attractions related to The Beatles.
Previously part of Lancashire, and a county borough from 1889, Liverpool became in 1974 a metropolitan borough within the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside.
At the end of the 20th century Liverpool was concentrating on regeneration, a process which still continues today.
21st century
To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife organised a competition to choose county flowers; the sea-holly was Liverpool's final choice.
Capitalising on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, such as The Beatles, as well as the city's world-class art galleries, museums and landmarks, tourism has also become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.
In 2004, property developer Grosvenor started the Paradise Project, a £920 m development centred on Paradise Street, which involved the most significant changes to Liverpool's city centre since the post-war reconstruction. Renamed 'Liverpool 1', the centre opened in May 2008.
In 2007, the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the borough of Liverpool, for which a number of events were planned. Liverpool is a joint European Capital of Culture for 2008. The main celebrations, in September 2008, included La Princesse, a large mechanical spider which is 20 metres high and weighs 37 tonnes, and represents the "eight legs" of Liverpool: honour, history, music, the Mersey, the ports, governance, sunshine and culture. La Princesse roamed the streets of the city during the festivities, and concluded by entering the Queensway Tunnel.
Second city of Empire
Lime Street, Liverpool in the 1890s, St.George's Hall to the left, Great North Western Hotel to the right, Walker Art Gallery and Sessions House in the background. Statues of Prince Albert, Disraeli, Queen Victoria and Wellington's Column in the middle ground.
For periods during the 19th century the wealth of Liverpool exceeded that of London itself,[14] and Liverpool's Custom House was the single largest contributor to the British Exchequer.[15] Liverpool's status can be judged from the fact that it was the only British city ever to have its own Whitehall office.[16]
The first United States consul anywhere in the world, James Maury, was appointed to Liverpool in 1790, and remained in office for 39 years.
As early as 1851 the city was described as "the New York of Europe"[17] and its buildings, constructed on a heroic, even megalomaniacal scale stand witness to the supreme confidence and ambition of the city at the turn of the 20th century.
Liverpool was also the site of the UK's first provincial airport, operating from 1930.
Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No.1, often seen as Britain's Imperial anthem, was dedicated by the composer to the Liverpool Orchestral Society and had its premiere in the city in October 1901.
During the Second World War, the critical strategic importance of Liverpool was recognised by both Hitler and Churchill, with the city suffering a blitz second only to London's,[18] and the pivotal Battle of the Atlantic being planned, fought and won from Liverpool.[19]
Inventions and innovations
School of Tropical Medicine, the first in the world
Ferries, railways, transatlantic steamships, municipal trams,[20] electric trains[21] and the helicopter[22] were all pioneered in Liverpool as modes of mass transit. In 1829 and 1836 the first underground railway tunnels in the world were constructed under Liverpool.[23]
The first School for the Blind,[24] Mechanics' Institute,[25] High School for Girls,[26][27] council house[28] and Juvenile Court[29] were all founded in Liverpool. The RSPCA,[30] NSPCC,[31] Age Concern,[32] Relate, Citizen's Advice Bureau[33] and Legal Aid all evolved from work in the city.
In the field of public health, the first lifeboat station, public baths and wash-houses,[34] sanitary act,[35] medical officer for health, district nurse, slum clearance,[36] purpose-built ambulance,[37] X-ray medical diagnosis,[38] school of tropical medicine, motorised municipal fire-engine,[39] free school milk and school meals,[40] cancer research centre,[41] and zoonosis research centre[42] all originated in Liverpool. The first British Nobel Prize was awarded in 1902 to Ronald Ross, professor at the School of Tropical Medicine, the first school of its kind in the world.[43] Orthopaedic surgery was pioneered in Liverpool by Hugh Owen Thomas,[44] and modern medical anaesthetics by Thomas Cecil Gray.
Oriel Chambers, the first 'modern' building in the world
In finance, Liverpool founded the UK's first Underwriters' Association[45] and the first Institute of Accountants. The Western world's first financial derivatives (cotton futures) were traded on the Liverpool Cotton Exchange in the late 1700s.[46]
In the arts, Liverpool was home to the first lending library, athenaeum society, arts centre[47] and public art conservation centre.[48] Liverpool is also home to the UK's oldest surviving classical orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.[49]
In 1864, Peter Ellis built the world's first iron-framed, curtain-walled office building, Oriel Chambers, the prototype of the skyscraper. The UK's first purpose-built department store was Compton House, completed in 1867 for the retailer J.R. Jeffrey, to replace a previous building which had burned down in 1865.[50] It was the largest store in the world at the time.[51]
Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival. Devised by John Hulley and Charles Melly, these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook.[52][53] The programme of the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics.[54] In 1865 Hulley co-founded the National Olympian Association in Liverpool, a forerunner of the British Olympic Association. Its articles of foundation provided the framework for the International Olympic Charter.
Shipowner Sir Alfred Lewis Jones introduced the banana to Great Britain in 1884.[55]
In 1897, the Lumière brothers filmed Liverpool,[56] including what is believed to be the world's first tracking shot,[57] taken from the Liverpool Overhead Railway – the world's first elevated electrified railway.
Liverpool inventor Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the 20th century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys.
In 1999, Liverpool was the first city outside the capital to be awarded blue plaques by English Heritage in recognition of the "significant contribution made by its sons and daughters in all walks of life."[58]
Government
Liverpool has three tiers of government; the Mayor & Local Council, the National Government and the European Parliament. Liverpool is officially governed by a Unitary Authority, as when Merseyside County Council was disbanded civic functions were returned to a district borough level. However several services such as the Police and Fire and Rescue Service, continue to be run at a county-wide level.
Mayor & Local council
See also: Liverpool City Council
A number of Liverpool City Council services are based in the Municipal Buildings
The City of Liverpool is governed by the Directly elected mayor of Liverpool and Liverpool City Council, and is one of five metropolitan boroughs that combine to make up the metropolitan county of Merseyside. The Mayor is elected by the citizens of Liverpool every four years and is responsible for the day to day running of the council. The council's 90 elected councillors who represent local communities throughout the city, are responsible for scrutininsing the Mayor's decisions, setting the Budget, and policy framework of the city. The Mayor's responsibility is to be a powerful voice for the city both nationally and internationally, to lead, build investor confidence, and to direct resources to economic priorities.[59] The Mayor also exchanges direct dialogue with government ministers and the Prime minister through his seat at the 'Cabinet of Mayors'. Discussions include pressing decision makers in the government on local issues as well as building relationships with the other Directly elected mayors in England and Wales.[60] The current Mayor is Joe Anderson.
The city of Liverpool effectively has two Mayors. As well as the directly elected Mayor, there is the ceremonial 'Lord Mayor' (or civic Mayor) who is elected by the full city council at its annual general meeting in May, and stands for one year in office. The Lord Mayor acts as the 'first citizen' of Liverpool and is responsible for promoting the city, supporting local charities & community groups as well as representing the city at civic events.[61] The current Lord Mayor is Councillor Frank Prendergast.[62]
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