The economic structure of port cities in the mid-nineteenth century: Boston and Liverpool, 1840–1860

This paper compares the economic structures of Boston, Massachusetts, and Liverpool, Lancashire, in the mid-nineteenth century. The two cities were selected for comparative analysis because of similarities in the commodity flows through their ports, the functional status of each city in the urban hierarchies of the US and Britain and the industrial mix of each hinterland. An examination of the distribution of the labour force in each city (1850–1851) supported the assumption of functional similarity. However, in standardising the data for relative differences in the level of regional and national economic development, Boston evidenced a greater dominance over regional and national markets than did Liverpool. This was particularly true in the case of industries not directly associated with the city's port functions. The primary factor contributing to these differences was the proximity of alternative location sites in the hinterland.