Solstice and Equinox series: Cottonopolis-The Origins of Global Manchester
Join us at the next event in the Solstice and Equinox series as we explore Manchester’s cotton industry and its global connections.
Cottonopolis examines how 18th-century Manchester was transformed into a manufacturing centre at the heart of Britain’s expanding cotton trade – a city so closely associated with the industry that it became known as “Cottonopolis.”
In this panel discussion, David Olusoga OBE, Professor of Public History at The University of Manchester, will be joined by Edmond Smith, Professor of Economic Cultures at The University of Manchester, and Cassandra Gooptar, University of Hull. Together they will reflect on how Manchester’s rapid industrial growth was shaped by connections to India, Africa and the Americas – connections that provided raw materials, labour, markets and capital.
Often understood simply as part of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester’s rise depended not only on technological innovation, but also on systems of empire, trade, and transatlantic slavery. This event will explore how these intertwined histories reshaped economies and societies across the world, and what they mean for how we understand Manchester today. The discussion will consider how looking closely at the global origins of this northern British city reveals a complex and connected past – one that continues to shape our present.
Ahead of the event, attendees are invited to view the exhibition Cottonopolis: The Origins of Global Manchester at the John Rylands Library, curated by Professor Edmond Smith as part of his research for his new book, Ruthless: A New History of Britain’s Rise to Wealth and Power, 1600–1800. The exhibition runs until 9 May 2026.
An audience Q&A will follow the panel discussion.
Speakers
David Olusoga OBE
Biography: David Olusoga OBE is a British Nigerian author, historian, presenter and BAFTA-winning film-maker. He is Professor of Public History at The University of Manchester and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to history and community integration. He specialises in the British Empire and how we experience its lasting effects in modern society. David has presented historical television programmes on the BBC. His television credits include Civilisations, Black and British, Our NHS: A Hidden History, A House Through Time and the BAFTA award-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
Edmond Smith
Biography: Edmond Smith is Professor of Economic Cultures at The University of Manchester and a leading historian of global economic transformation. His work rethinks how capitalism, empire and trade reshaped structures of wealth and power from the fifteenth century onwards. He leads an international research programme examining intertwined histories of innovation and exploitation across West Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and their enduring role in shaping global inequalities.
Cassandra Gooptar
Biography: Dr Cassandra Gooptar is a leading interdisciplinary researcher from Trinidad and Tobago whose main focus of research involves themes of slavery, colonialism and reparative justice. Her work was instrumental in The Guardian’s 2023 investigation into its founders' links to transatlantic slavery
Travel and Contact Information
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John Rylands Research Institute and Library
150 Deansgate
Manchester
Gtr Manchester
