Ships owned and built by Aberdonians were heavily involved in the business of Empire. Locally-based merchants, families and companies relied on these vessels to trade goods across the globe. Between the 1700s and early 1900s, the demand for sugar, cotton, tea and gold was intense. For many decades enslaved people were forced to work to satisfy consumer tastes. People from the North East owned plantations, invested in trade and became wealthy.
Colin Helling, one of our Aberdeen-built Ships volunteers, has been researching the role of ships owned and built in Aberdeen in Empire and colonialism. This exhibition highlights some of his key findings.
