Since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, Manchester and Liverpool, located in northwestern England, have been rivals in the economic and industrial spheres. The two cities even reacted differently to the American Civil War (1861-65). Wealthy from cotton imports from the United States, Liverpool supported the Confederacy, while Manchester’s mill workers sympathized with the embargo on cotton harvested by black slaves advocated by President Abraham Lincoln of the Northern Confederacy. As cotton became scarce, mills shut down and workers fell into poverty. Despite this, workers continued to support Lincoln’s embargo as a show of solidarity against slavery. In 1863, President Lincoln wrote a letter of thanks to the workers of Manchester.
Only 56 kilometers apart, Manchester and Liverpool have quite a bit in common. Both cities were built on the wealth of the British Empire’s colonial rule – the suffering of people elsewhere. Traditionally, Manchester and Liverpool are working-class cities, and politically, they support the Labor Party rather than the Conservative Party. They also have great soccer traditions and an amazing musical heritage.
The cities also have quite a few differences. Manchester is much larger than Liverpool and is the capital of the north of England. Ethnically, Manchester is also much more diverse than Liverpool. As a major industrial city, Manchester’s air is much more polluted than Liverpool’s, and it lacks green spaces. Often referred to as England’s “litter capital,” Manchester was once cleaned up in the run-up to the 2002 Commonwealth Games. But just weeks after the closing ceremony, the city was back to its old self. 안전놀이터
The city’s community-based citizens are easy-going, outgoing, and friendly. This contrasts with the serious, humorless, and cynical disposition of the people of Manchester, a cold and gloomy city. Unlike Manchester, which feels like a working city, Liverpool is more about entertainment and shopping. For outsiders and tourists, Liverpool is much more appealing.
A Manchesterian is called a “Mancunian” and a Liverpoolian is called a “Liverpudlian” or “Scouser”. The Mancunians and Scousers in these two cities, which are only a 40-minute drive apart, have completely different accents. Manchester’s accent is similar to the neighboring cities of Leeds and Sheffield. The Scouse accent in Liverpool, on the other hand, is truly unique. Liverpool is often referred to as the “second capital of Ireland” due to the large number of immigrants from Ireland, and the Scouse accent is heavily influenced by them.
In October 2015, the BBC broadcast a documentary called ‘Wayne Rooney: The Man Behind the Goals’. The next day, the British lamented on social media. “I couldn’t understand it,” “I spent all my time asking my mom to interpret Rooney’s accent,” and “I need subtitles,” were some of the comments.