Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Inhabitants of Whitechapel (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did Immigration Affect Crime in Whitechapel? - Timeline & Summary
Immigration from Ireland and Eastern Europe affected the atmosphere of Whitechapel. Immigrants came from areas of poverty and violence. By moving to Whitechapel, they were entering a similar environment to the one they had escaped. Some immigrants committed crimes. Immigrants struggled to cope with the poor conditions of Whitechapel. Immigrants drank alcohol to forget their problems. Drunkenness often led to violent crimes such as assault. People would steal to afford to buy more alcohol. Immigration brought more serious crimes into Whitechapel too. The ideas of anarchy and socialism fuelled some immigrants to commit terrorist attacks. This created panic in Whitechapel. The police monitored areas of high immigration closely to search for terrorists. Some immigrants were also successful and wealthy. This also caused tension between less wealthy residents of Whitechapel. Immigration caused crime between the different communities of Whitechapel. Whitechapel’s nationalities misunderstood each other. Stereotypes and racism created tension between white Christians and the Jewish community. This could often lead to physical violence. Attitudes towards immigrants made policing Whitechapel increasingly difficult from c1870. |
Why Were Immigrants Attracted to Whitechapel?
Whitechapel was an ideal location for immigrants
Boats from Eastern Europe and Ireland docked in the East End
St Catherine Docks is to the south of Whitechapel
Whitechapel was the first district that immigrants would see
As a result, Whitechapel had large and well-established immigrant communities
Immigrants found a connection to home in the immigrant community in Whitechapel
Whitechapel was one of the poorest districts in London
Immigrants could have little money
Whitechapel had cheaper accommodation than other parts of London
The Irish Community in Whitechapel
There was an increase in Irish immigration to the East End of London in the 1840s
Ireland suffered from the Great Famine between 1845 and 1852
Around one million people died in Ireland due to starvation
Around one million people fled from Ireland to survive
Most Irish immigrants were young men
Many Irish immigrants had planned to travel to America from East London
Some immigrants ran out of money and had to stay in London
A popular job among Irish immigrants was as navigators or ‘navvies’
Irish immigrants also:
Provided manual labour on the canals, roads and railways around London
Became dockers on the River Thames
Irish immigrants had a poor reputation among London society
Many people considered Irish immigrants as thugs and drunks
High levels of poverty affected Irish immigrants
Alcoholism caused issues with law and order among the Irish community
What Increased Jewish Migration from Eastern Europe to Whitechapel during the 1880s?
Eastern European immigrants were escaping the Russian Empire in the 1880s
In 1880, most areas of Eastern Europe were not independent countries
They were controlled by the Russian emperor, known as the Tsar
In 1881, Russia experienced a wave of anti-semitism
The government blamed a Jewish person for the assassination of Tsar Alexander II
The new tsar, Alexander III, encouraged pogroms against the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe
Many Jewish people fled from their countries to London
Whitechapel was a popular area for Jewish immigrants
Whitechapel was affordable for the Jewish immigrants
Settling in one place gave more protection for Jewish immigrants
Nearly 95% of the population of the Spitalfields area of Whitechapel were Jewish by the 20th century
In comparison, only 1% of the population of Britain were Jewish
The Growth of Socialism and Anarchism in Whitechapel
What does socialism & anarchism mean?
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students often struggle to understand terms like ‘anarchism’ and ‘socialism’. The Crime and Punishment course does not require an in-depth knowledge of these political ideas. Try to remember that both anarchism and socialism intimidated the upper classes. Anarchism and socialism gave power to the working classes. It encouraged them to rebel against their governments.
How did anarchism and socialism impact Whitechapel?
Anarchy and socialism were a potential threat to Britain
The British government feared anarchy in Britain because:
Anarchists and revolutionaries from France fled to Britain after their temporary control of Paris, in 1871
Anarchy went against the middle and upper classes' idea of government
Newspapers exaggerated anarchist reports to increase the fear of anarchy
Whitechapel attracted both anarchism and socialism because:
There was a large population of immigrants living in Whitechapel
Some anarchists moved to the East End of London to live alongside other immigrants and created anarchist societies
The people of Whitechapel lived in poverty and would be attracted by their aims and could support them
Many people in Whitechapel were angry at the lack of support from the government
Prejudice Against the Immigrants of Whitechapel
Unfortunately, a mixture of nationalities in Whitechapel caused tension
Prejudice against the Irish community
Whitechapel’s Irish community suffered from persecution due to the Fenians
The Fenians were an Irish Catholic group. They demanded that the UK free Ireland from British rule
The Fenians bombed Clerkenwell Prison in London in 1867 and Gower Street Station in 1885
As a result, many people had an anti-Irish and anti-Catholic attitude
The Metropolitan Police created the Special Branch. Part of their responsibilities was to hunt for Irish terrorists
Between 1870 and 1900, life for Irish immigrants became tough
The press reported negatively on Irish immigrants
Irish immigrants struggled to find jobs, as employers assumed that all Irish immigrants supported the Fenians
Prejudice against the Jewish community
Cultural differences
People in Whitechapel disliked the Jewish community because of cultural differences:
The Jewish immigrants spoke a different language called Yiddish
This made them stand out from the white Christian community in Whitechapel
Judaism has different religious celebrations like the Sabbath
Most residents in Whitechapel celebrated Christian events
The Jewish immigrants wore different clothes, like the Kippah, and did not eat pork
The British, Christian residents of Whitechapel did not understand Yiddish and became suspicious of Jewish people
Work ethic
Jewish immigrants established successful businesses within Whitechapel
The Jewish immigrants found more work with Jewish-owned businesses
In some areas, this resulted in ethnic segregation of the Jewish community
Out of desperation, Jewish workers accepted lower wages from sweatshops to make clothes. This increased the anger of other businessmen because:
Other businessmen could not compete with sweatshops on price
Business owners blamed immigrants for this
Stereotypes
Many people in Britain had a negative stereotype of Jewish people
Newspapers blamed Jewish immigrants for the issues within Whitechapel
During the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888, many newspapers reported that the murderer was a Jewish person
The newspapers had no evidence for this accusation. Many readers believed the newspapers and increased their anti-semitism
Some Jewish immigrants created anarchist and socialist societies in London
Many middle-class people feared the ideas of anarchy and socialism
They blamed the Jewish immigrants for bringing these ideas into the country
Crimes against immigrants
In areas where Eastern European and Irish immigrants mixed, violence was common
Anti-semitism caused these communities to assault Jewish people in the streets
Police considered these areas very difficult to police because of the violence
In times of crisis, this violence only increased
In 1888, sensationalist newspapers like the East London Observer wrote anti-semitic articles
The Lloyd Weekly News drew Jack the Ripper as a stereotypical Jewish person
British Christians in Whitechapel blamed the immigrant communities for committing the Whitechapel murders
The police became concerned about the levels of hate crimes within Whitechapel
To combat crime against immigrants, the Metropolitan Police brought reinforcements into Whitechapel
Worked Example
How could you follow up Source B to find out more about the problems facing immigrants in the Whitechapel area?
4 marks
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.' |
Answers:
Detail in Source A that I would follow up: ’The immigrants are imprisoned day and night’ (1)
Question I would ask: How long were the shifts in sweatshops for immigrant workers? (1)
What type of source: The shift logs of sweatshops in the Whitechapel area c1900 (1)
How this might help answer my question: It would show me how long shifts were in the sweatshops for immigrant workers and prove that immigrants worked day and night in the sweatshops (1)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question focuses on the problems faced by immigrants in Whitechapel, not workers in Whitechapel in general. Ensure your answer to the question references immigrants. They were paid lower on average than other communities in Whitechapel. As a result, they faced a harder life than other communities
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