11 mark
Where in London is Whitechapel?
North London.
East London.
South London.
West London.
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Context: Whitechapel in the 19th Century (Edexcel GCSE History)
Exam Questions
15 mins15 questions
21 mark
Approximately how many of the 30,000 people living in Whitechapel were homeless?
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
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31 mark
Where did the wealthier people of Whitechapel live in the 19th century?
Buck’s Row and Whitechapel Road.
Brick Lane and Hanbury Street.
Whitechapel Road and Commercial Road.
Mitre Square and Leadenhall Street.
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41 mark
What were ‘Rookeries’ in 19th century Whitechapel?
A place where people had to provide labour in return for their food and shelter.
An area of Whitechapel where the government improved the housing through the Artisans’ Dwellings Act.
A ‘doss’ house, where people are offered a bed to sleep in for eight-hour periods.
An overpopulated area with poor-quality houses.
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51 mark
Which of the following did not cause poverty in Whitechapel in the 19th century?
High levels of immigration.
War.
The economy.
The Industrial Revolution.
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61 mark
How did pubs contribute towards the high levels of crime in Whitechapel?
Alcohol was expensive in Whitechapel. People would steal it from the pubs.
Local gangs controlled all the pubs in Whitechapel and they would conduct their criminal business from the pubs.
The pubs in Whitechapel knowingly hid criminals from the police.
In one mile in Whitechapel, there were 45 pubs and gin palaces. The easy availability of alcohol led to violent crimes such as assault.
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71 mark
Which of the following does not accurately describe the environment of Whitechapel in the 19th century?
Whitechapel had good street lighting.
Whitechapel had a large number of workhouses and orphanages.
Whitechapel had many narrow alleyways.
Whitechapel had low visibility due to air pollution.
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81 mark
Why were immigrants attracted to Whitechapel in the 19th century?
Whitechapel was known for having lots of employment opportunities which immigrants wanted.
Whitechapel was known as being a safe place in London. Many immigrants were leaving violent areas so they wanted to live in a safe area.
Boats from Eastern Europe and Ireland docked in the East End at St Catherine's Docks. Whitechapel was the first district that immigrants would see.
Despite the economic depression at the time, Whitechapel was thriving with lots of new businesses and opportunities.
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91 mark
What is socialism?
A political idea that does not believe in any form of government or law.
A political outlook that stresses that a country’s land, industries and wealth should all belong to the workers of that country.
A political system where the eligible people of a country or state can choose the people who run the country through elections.
A political idea where the country’s power is controlled by an individual or a small group, under a single party. They believe that their nation is superior to all others.
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101 mark
What percentage of the population in the Spitalfields area of Whitechapel were Jewish by the 20th century?
Nearly 80%
Nearly 85%
Nearly 90%
Nearly 95%
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111 mark
Study Source B. What is the nature of Source B?
Source B: From a report by Herbert Evans, written c.1900s. Evans was an assistant inspector of factories. His report was sent to a government group which was producing an official report on immigration. Here he is describing the conditions in which some immigrants worked and lived
'The workshop is usually found in a basement or attic, hidden from the outside world. The smells are really unpleasant. There are fumes from burning rubbish and sickly fumes from cheap oil lamps. There is not daylight. This type of workshop is a danger to the community. In these workshops, the immigrants are imprisoned day and night. They are kept at work by the taskmaster. They are clothed in rags and paid a starvation wage. A few women are employed. The family all sleep in the same room. The effect of these conditions can be seen in the pale and lifeless appearances of the workers.' |
Herbert Evans was an assistant inspector of factories.
A government report on immigration.
To investigate the conditions in which immigrants worked and lived in.
Herbert Evans, written c.1900s.
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11 mark
Study Source A. Using Source A and your own knowledge, what were the conditions of a Whitechapel workhouse in the 19th century?
Source A: From The People of the Abyss by Jack London, 1903. Jack London was an American writer who spent time living among the poor in Whitechapel. Homeless poor people could stay overnight in a workhouse casual ward in return for completing work. Here Jack London is describing a conversation about a casual ward.
'I was told that after a cold bath, I would be given bread and skilly. Skilly is made from oatmeal stirred into hot water. Then I would be sent directly to bed. I would get up at half past five in the morning and breakfast would be the same meal – bread and skilly. Then I would have to do my work. I would be locked up in a cell to pick oakum*, or to clean and scrub, or to break stones. My friend said, ‘I don’t have to break stones; I’m old, you see. But they’ll make you do it because you’re young and strong.’ ‘Then comes dinner,’ he went on. ‘Bread, cheese, and cold water. Then you finish your work, eat the same as before, and then bed. At six o’clock next morning, you’re let out, provided you’ve finished your work.’ * pick oakum – picking out tar from old ropes |
The workhouses were overcrowded areas with poor-quality houses. In 1877, one workhouse contained 123 rooms housing 757 people.
People in a workhouse were provided with good food and given plenty of support to find a permanent job.
The conditions of workhouses were poor. Those staying in a casual ward were offered the most basic accommodation at a lower standard than the rest of a workhouse.
The Artisans’ Dwelling Act was introduced in 1875 to improve the conditions of workhouses in Whitechapel and to ensure that older residents did not have to do hard labour.
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21 mark
Study Source B. How does Source B support the following inference:
‘Immigrants in Whitechapel often resorted to crime as they were living in poverty’
Source B: From a report by Herbert Evans, written c.1900s. Evans was an assistant inspector of factories. His report was sent to a government group which was producing an official report on immigration. Here he is describing the conditions in which some immigrants worked and lived
'The workshop is usually found in a basement or attic, hidden from the outside world. The smells are really unpleasant. There are fumes from burning rubbish and sickly fumes from cheap oil lamps. There is not daylight. This type of workshop is a danger to the community. In these workshops, the immigrants are imprisoned day and night. They are kept at work by the taskmaster. They are clothed in rags and paid a starvation wage. A few women are employed. The family all sleep in the same room. The effect of these conditions can be seen in the pale and lifeless appearances of the workers.' |
Source B states that ‘this type of workshop is a danger to the community’. This shows that the conditions of workhouses were very poor.
Source B states that ‘the family all sleep in the same room. The effect of these conditions can be seen in the pale and lifeless appearances of the workers.’ Immigrants came to Whitechapel often without a job. They would take whatever work they could to survive.
Source B states that ‘the family all slept in the same room’. Immigrants in Whitechapel often worked jobs that were poorly paid such as navigators or on canals, roads, and railways. This resulted in many immigrants living in poverty.
Source B states that immigrants were ‘clothes in rags and paid a starvation wage’. Immigrants struggled to cope with the poor conditions of Whitechapel. Therefore, many of them drank. Drunkenness often leads to violent crimes, such as assault.
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11 mark
Study Source A. How helpful is Source A to a historian studying workhouses in Whitechapel in the 19th century?
Source A: From The People of the Abyss by Jack London, 1903. Jack London was an American writer who spent time living among the poor in Whitechapel. Homeless poor people could stay overnight in a workhouse casual ward in return for completing work. Here Jack London is describing a conversation about a casual ward.
'I was told that after a cold bath, I would be given bread and skilly. Skilly is made from oatmeal stirred into hot water. Then I would be sent directly to bed. I would get up at half past five in the morning and breakfast would be the same meal – bread and skilly. Then I would have to do my work. I would be locked up in a cell to pick oakum*, or to clean and scrub, or to break stones. My friend said, ‘I don’t have to break stones; I’m old, you see. But they’ll make you do it because you’re young and strong.’ ‘Then comes dinner,’ he went on. ‘Bread, cheese, and cold water. Then you finish your work, eat the same as before, and then bed. At six o’clock next morning, you’re let out, provided you’ve finished your work.’ * pick oakum – picking out tar from old ropes |
The source is helpful to a historian because it explains why so many people were facing poverty in Whitechapel.
The source is helpful to a historian because it shows the daily routine of a person who is living in a workhouse.
The source is not helpful to a historian because it only describes the experiences of one person who is living in a casual ward, not a workhouse.
The source is helpful to a historian because it is a description of a workhouse by an American writer.
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21 mark
Study Source B. What statement best summarises Herbert Evans’ opinion of the living and working conditions of immigrant workers in Whitechapel?
Source B: From a report by Herbert Evans, written c.1900s. Evans was an assistant inspector of factories. His report was sent to a government group which was producing an official report on immigration. Here he is describing the conditions in which some immigrants worked and lived
'The workshop is usually found in a basement or attic, hidden from the outside world. The smells are really unpleasant. There are fumes from burning rubbish and sickly fumes from cheap oil lamps. There is not daylight. This type of workshop is a danger to the community. In these workshops, the immigrants are imprisoned day and night. They are kept at work by the taskmaster. They are clothed in rags and paid a starvation wage. A few women are employed. The family all sleep in the same room. The effect of these conditions can be seen in the pale and lifeless appearances of the workers.' |
Immigrant workers in Whitechapel had basic accommodation and worked hard in acceptable working conditions.
Immigrant workers in Whitechapel were a danger to the community. They were dressed in rags and all lived together.
Immigrant workers in Whitechapel were forced to work long hours for little pay. They lived in such poverty that it was affecting their health.
Immigrant workers in Whitechapel needed to invest in better lighting for their workplaces. Also, immigrant workers worked with women who slept in the same room.
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