Manchester has a rich history from its origins as a Roman fort to its current status as a thriving city. It grew significantly during the Industrial Revolution due to its cotton industry, becoming known as "Cottonopolis". The city experienced major population growth and economic expansion in the late 18th and 19th centuries. More recently, Manchester has diversified its economy and promoted its culture, hosting events like the 2002 Commonwealth Games, to renew itself as a cosmopolitan city.

1. Swansea ITEC - October 2010
Manchester: facts, culture
and change
Cristina Lepri
mikecolvin82, (2010) CC - Some Rights Reserved.

2. Why Manchester?
This is the first question I should answer. It is not just about me; with the development of
the Quays well under way, and MediaCityUK happening in Salford, hundreds of people
will move North in the next few years. The few snippets of information that do not cater
for tourists are scattered like gravel, making that big decision just a little bit harder. It is
not just about a job either; it is about understanding the city’s history and its
undercurrents, and making the place a home. It does not have to be complicated. The
purpose of this project is to collect information that is skipped out of touristic sites.
A Few Drops of History: from Cottonopolis to Madchester
While the area was primarily inhabited by Celtic tribes, Manchester is believed to
originate from the Roman fort of Mamucium, built in 79 AD at a junction between the
rivers Medlock and Irwell. Its history, however, remains unsettled, as the land was
contested between the kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex until the 10th
Century. By 1086, Manchester formed part of the Salford Hundred, a territory constituted
2

3. after the Norman occupation.1
During the 13th
Century the Roman fort was reinforced, and
used by the local barons for all organizational purposes; the land was rented out to
tenants, creating allotments that would include work and domestic dwellings. The barons
also owned the only mill in the area, and allowed tenants to use it for domestic purposes.2
Between the 14th
and the 16th
Century, Flemish immigration kick-started the wool
weaving industry; further growth occurred in 1620, as the textile industry diversified into
fustian weaving.
Politically, Manchester’s history is not less
turbulent; a member of parliament gained as
part of the Commonwealth in 1654 was
swiftly removed in 1660, as part of the
Reformation policies against the city’s
support for the parliamentarian manifesto. It
is believed that the city’s lack of governance
led to the quick victory by the Jacobean
army in 1745, coupled with the local judges’
unwillingness to compromise their interests
by supporting rebellion.3
Supported by a
system of canals connecting the city to
Liverpool, the manufacturing and sales of
cotton goods refreshed the textile industry;
bleaching and mechanical parallel trades
also developed in and around Manchester4
. The textile trade entered recession in the late
1700s; widespread poverty and the unsettled political situation fuelled outburst of violence,
which culminated in the St. Peter’s Field’s riot in 1819, leaving fifteen casualties and
hundreds injured.5
During WW2, Manchester was heavily involved in the war effort,
producing aircraft as part of a wider economic diversification that concentrated on
chemical and mechanical engineering, which had started in the early 20th
Century. This
resulted in extended bombardments during the Blitz.6
The 1980s marked a further period
of decline, due to privatization policies and deep economic changes deployed by the
Conservative leadership. Recovery started in earnest in the following decade, aided by a
successful music scene, securing the city the nickname of Madchester.7
On 15th
June 1996
an IRA device exploded in the city centre; however, Manchester was able to persist in its
renewal bid by hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002, and the Europride
celebrations in 2003, promoting the new cosmopolitan and tolerant face of Britain.8
The Industrial Past
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
6
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
Bridgewater Canal, Warrington
helena.40proof, (2010) CC Some rights
reserved.
3

4. Population Growth in Manchester 1801-2001.9
Economic expansion
surged in the late 18th
Century, coupled with an
increasing workforce.
Cotton firms accounted for
around 80,000 employees
in 1851, while the
population expanded in
the decades across the
turn of the century.
Original figures from 1835
state that 1113 cotton mills were in operation in Britain, 943 in the North-west alone;
export revenue is estimated to have
grown from £1 million in 1785 to £16
million in 1816, culminating at 31 million
in 185110
. Manchester developed a system
of cotton spinning factories and
warehouses, which would cover every
phase of production, from manufacturing
to storage and distribution, structured by
a few major firms and an array of smaller
enterprises.11
Population and economic
growth also changed the landscape,
assimilating rural spots between villages and the city itself, and creating a community of
around 1 million individuals. Many had originally moved to the city attracted by
employment opportunities, leaving the cosmopolitan legacy that characterise modern
Manchester.12
Manchester was also pioneering pollution concern through the work of
Robert Angus Smith; from the 1840s onwards, he researched the atmosphere’s
properties, and the effects of pollution on all aspects of life13
Class and Gender
Early 20th
Century societal structure can be broadly explained by examining leisure
patterns variations between genders in working class households. As most commonly
enjoyed leisure activities were inaccessible to women, men enjoyed more social
opportunities, and were able to spend money on drinking and other activities. In
contrast, female interests were severely restricted to household matters; public opinion
expected women to give up spare time in favour of the family’s wellbeing and fulfil a
conservative image of motherhood. Those women that did work had to balance a job
with household responsibilities, which diminished leisure time even further. Although
opportunities for relaxation did occur, these tended to keep genders apart; for example,
9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_Greater_Manchester
10
Taylor, Evans and Frasier, 1996: 50.
11
Lloyd-Jones and Lewis, 1988: 32-38.
12
Taylor, Evans and Frasier, 1996: 48-49.
13
Guardian News and Media Ltd. (2009)
Ethnicity (2005) % Total
White 88.91 2,261,200
Mixed Race 1.56 39,700
South Asian 6.52 165,700
Black 1.71 43,600
East Asian & Other 1.31 33,300
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5. women’s pub outings will be organized at regular intervals.14
During the 1960s, a
demarcation existed in social structures as defined by class. Middle class families would
consider the city a place for work or shopping, but generally lived outside Manchester
itself, in the suburb and the surrounding countryside. Their emphasis would also be on
social activities: from music at the Free Trade Hall to art exhibitions and theatre
performances, which were presented to a Northern audience before launching them in
the capital. In comparison, working class family life was still regulated by gender
divisions; while most men would spend time between home, work and amenities,
women’s sphere of movement remained domestic. Surprisingly, within that subsided
role, their position gave them considerable authority over young people in the
household and the immediate surroundings.15
Crime and Moral Panic
Evidence suggests unrest and violent episodes were common in Manchester from the
19th
Century to the 1930s; more recently, such reputation rests mainly on the Moss Side
riot in July 1981 between young people and the police, culminating in the murder of a
teenager. The riot was not unique, similar incidents had happened in Brixton and
Liverpool; in Manchester’s case, this might have been fuelled by a more general
discontent, as crime figures were indeed high (although not necessarily on violent
crimes) and the manufacturing sector was experiencing a downturn. In any case, the
negative coverage helped to establish Manchester’s reputation as a dangerous place.16
Culture and Education
As previously discussed, Manchester remains a hub for cultural activities; a particular
example is the People’s History Museum, which re-opened in 1990 an offer an insight in
family life and working condition during the last two century. It also keeps an extensive
record of political and parties’ activities in Britain.17
The “Gay Village”
As part of the general regeneration project during the 1990s, an old warehouse location
in the central area of Manchester was redeveloped into a series of establishments
especially catering for the gay community in the city and further afield. This singles out
the city as somewhat unique in the North-west environment.18
14
Davies, 1992: 55-56
15
Taylor, Evans and Frasier, 1996: 81-82.
16
Taylor, Evans and Fraser, 1996: 82-83.
17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_History_Museum
18
Taylor, Evans, and Fraser, 1996: 180.
5

6. However, it could be argued that, if
the project was really about equality
and tolerance, than the work should
concentrate on making a gay identity
acceptable in every bar or club,
without the need for a specific
location.
Conclusion
It is obvious that Manchester has been a close-knit community were attitudes and
behaviours were dictated by social convention, gender differences and class divisions. It
has been the scene for a colourful history from its origins in Roman times, to the re-birth
at the turn of the century into a cosmopolitan city. Recent development, like the creation
of the “Gay Village” and a vibrant cultural scene are setting the pace for the
demographic and social changes to come.
Canal Street, Manchester Pimlico Badger (2010)
CC Some rights reserved.
6

7. Bibliography
Davies, A. (1992) Leisure, gender and poverty, Buckingham: Open University Press (ISBN
0-335-15638-X).
Demography of Greater Manchester, available
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_Greater_Manchester
Guardian News and Media Ltd. (2009) Manchester: industrial revolution’s birthplace
poised for green renaissance, 29th
May 2009, available
at:http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/29/manchester-report-climate-
change
helena.40proff (2010) Bridgewater Canal,Warrington, available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76099968@N00/1249638706
History of Manchester, available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester
Lloyd-Jones, R. and Lewis, M.J. (1988) Manchester and the Age of the Factory: The Business
Structure of Cottonopolis in the Industrial Revolution, London: Croom Helm (ISBN 0-7099-
4158-7).
mikecolvin82 (2010) manchester at night, available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecolvin82/139213765
People’s History Museum, available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People
%27s_History_Museum
Pimlico Badger, (2010) Canal Street, Manchester, available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/salford_ian/2344047976
Taylor, I., Evans, K. and Fraser, P. (1996) A Tale of Two Cities: A Study in Manchester and
Sheffield, London: Routledge (0-415-13829-9).
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