Tensions in Whitechapel

Question 1

Irish immigrants

Answer 1

Many Irish left Ireland in 1840s for the USA, but many ended up in London so Irish immigration expanded rapidly from the 1840s. The Irish community was frequently engaged in low skill manual labour such as being navvies on roads and railways or as dockers

• Hostility to the Irish as they had reputation for drunkenness and violence
  The Fenians, were involved in a series of incidents from the 1860s to 1880s and gained for the Irish a further reputation as violent frantic

Question 2

Eastern European Jewish Immigration

Answer 2

• Massive Jewish Immigration from Russia to Whitechapel occurred in the 1880s and polish jews who fled persecution in the russian empire after Alexander IIs assassination in 1881

Poverty meant they were only able to settle in cheaper parts of london.

Tend to stikc together = segregation
1888 some parts of WC had 95% jewish population

Question 3

Fluctuating population

Answer 3

most accommodation in WC was temporary, which meant which meant there was mainly temporary residents who didn’t have any interest in fostering community

Question 4

Anarchists and Socialists

Answer 4

From 1848 there was a wave of attempted revolutions across Europe . Many of the revolutionaries ended up in London’s East ends .

Movements set up or supported by the revolutionaries were anarchism which opposed organised government and socialism which wanted the end of capitalism

Both movements were feared by the authorities and middle and UC but attracted some support from residents of wc

Question 5

Resulting tensions
As a result of varied, fluctuating population, tensions in WC were high

Answer 5

• tensions between immigrant and local population over access to housing and jobs
• recently arrived jews were prepared to accept lower pay and poor conditions leading to increase in sweatshop system leading to annoyance of other workers and non sweatshop employers
• Anti semitic and violence against jews rose rapidly
• Anyone with foreign accent was suspected of being a violent revolutionary
• foreigners were blamed for many crimes such as ripper murderers which increased racial hatred and violent