Where in London was Whitechapel, and what sort of district was it in the late nineteenth century?

It stood in the East End, immediately beyond the eastern boundary of the City of London, and was a densely packed inner-city district known for poverty and casual labour.

A cluster of decaying, tightly packed slum buildings joined by narrow courts and passages, where the poorest lodged and wanted men could easily hide.

What did a notorious slum street such as Flower and Dean Street look like?

Tall houses divided into single rented rooms and common lodging houses opening onto cramped courts, with a whole family often living in one room.

What power did the Artisans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act of 1875 give local authorities?

It allowed them to buy up and pull down slum property so that better dwellings could be put up on the cleared land.

Why did clearing slums often leave the poorest residents worse off?

Their old rooms were demolished but the replacement blocks charged higher rents, so they crowded into whatever slum property was left standing nearby.

Who was George Peabody and what did he do with his fortune?

He was an American banker settled in London who gave a large sum to a trust founded to build sound, affordable homes for the city's working poor.

Edexcel GCSE History 1HI0

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88British depth

Topic overview Anglo-Saxon government, economy and society The last years of Edward the Confessor and the succession crisis The rival claimants for the throne The Norman invasion, 1060–66 Establishing control, 1066–87 Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1068–71 The legacy of resistance to 1087 Revolt of the Earls, 1075 The feudal system and the Church Norman government, 1066–88 The Norman aristocracy, 1066–88 William I and the succession

British America, 1713–83: Empire and RevolutionPeriod study

Topic overview Developments in colonial society Slavery in North America Problems within the colonies The impact of cultural developments War in the colonies The aftermath of the French and Indian war American colonist relations with Britain: growing opposition, 1765-75 The War of Independence 1775-83 Consequences of the war in America

Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95Period study

Topic overview The British withdrawal and the creation of Israel Aftermath of the 1948–49 war Increased tension, 1955–63 The Six Day War, 1967 Aftermath of the 1967 war Israel and Egypt, 1967–73 Diplomatic negotiations, 1974–95 The Palestinian issue, 1974–95 Attempts at a solution

Crime and Punishment in Britain, c1000–presentPaper 1 option

Topic overview Factors driving change in crime and punishment, c1000–present Nature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1000–c1500 The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1000–c1500 Case study: the Church, sanctuary and trial by ordeal Nature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1500–c1700 The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1500–c1700 Case studies: the Gunpowder Plot and Matthew Hopkins Nature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1700–c1900 The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1700–c1900 Case studies: Pentonville prison and Robert Peel Nature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1900–present The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1900–present Case studies: conscientious objectors and Derek Bentley

Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88British depth

Topic overview The situation on Elizabeth’s accession The ‘settlement’ of religion Challenge to the religious settlement The problem of Mary, Queen of Scots Plots and revolts at home Relations with Spain, 1569–88 Outbreak of war with Spain, 1585–88 The Armada, 1588 Education and leisure, 1558–88 The ‘problem’ of the poor Exploration and voyages of discovery Attempted colonisation of Virginia

Henry VIII and His Ministers, 1509–40British depth

Topic overview Henry VIII, Renaissance Prince The rise of Wolsey and his policies Wolsey’s foreign policy, 1509–29 Wolsey, Catherine, the succession and annulment Cromwell’s rise to power, 1529–34 The king’s marriages, 1529–40 Cromwell and government, 1534–40 The fall of Cromwell The break with Rome Opposition to, and impact of, Reformation, 1534–40 The dissolution of the monasteries The Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536

London and the Second World War, 1939–45Paper 1 option

Topic overview London at the outbreak of the Second World War The nature of attacks on London The impact of the Blitz on civilian life London’s response to the war Britain and the Second World War: the wider context Sources for a London Blitz enquiry

Mao’s China, 1945–76Modern depth

Topic overview The Civil War, 1945–49 Communist rule, 1945–59 Consolidating the CCP’s hold on power, 1951–52 The Hundred Flowers campaign, 1956–57 Early changes in agriculture, 1949–57 Industry and the Five-Year Plan, 1953–57 The Great Leap Forward Economic reform, 1962–65 Reasons for the Cultural Revolution The Red Guards and the Red Terror The effects of the Cultural Revolution The end of the Cultural Revolution, 1968–76 Communist control, 1949–76 Family life and the role of women Education and health, 1949–76 Cultural change, 1949–76

Medicine in Britain, c1250–presentPaper 1 option

Topic overview Factors driving change in medicine, c1250–present Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1250–c1500 Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1250–c1500 Case study: the Black Death, 1348–49 Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1500–c1700 Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1500–c1700 Case studies: William Harvey and the Great Plague of 1665 Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1700–c1900 Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1700–c1900 Case studies: Jenner’s vaccination and the 1854 cholera outbreak Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1900–present Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1900–present Case studies: penicillin and the fight against lung cancer

Migrants in Britain, c800–presentPaper 1 option

Topic overview Factors driving change in migration to Britain, c800–present The context for migration, c800–c1500 The experience and impact of migrants, c800–c1500 Case study: York under the Vikings The context for migration, c1500–c1700 The experience and impact of migrants, c1500–c1700 Case studies: Flemish and Walloon migrants, and the Huguenots The context for migration, c1700–c1900 The experience and impact of migrants, c1700–c1900 Case studies: Liverpool, and Jewish migrants in the East End The context for migration, c1900–present The experience and impact of migrants, c1900–present Case studies: Bristol, and Asian migrants in Leicester

Notting Hill, c1948–c1970Paper 1 option

Topic overview The local context of Notting Hill The influence of Caribbean cultures on the area Racism and policing Black activism in the Notting Hill area Migration, race relations and the national context Sources for a Notting Hill enquiry

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41Modern depth

Topic overview The growth of opposition to the tsar in early 1917 The February Revolution The Provisional Government The Bolshevik Revolution Early consolidation of power, 1917–18 The Civil War, 1918–21 Moves towards totalitarianism, 1917–24 Economic and social change, 1918–24 The struggle for power, 1924–28 The use of terror in the 1930s Propaganda and censorship, 1924–41 The Cult of Stalin Agriculture and collectivisation, 1924–41 Changes in industry, 1924–41 Life in the Soviet Union The position of women and ethnic minorities

Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555Period study

Topic overview Spanish exploration, c1490–1512 Columbus reaches the Americas Spanish claims in the Caribbean The start of an empire The conquest of Mexico Impact of Spain in the Americas Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas Expansion of empire, c1528–c1555 Impact of the 'New World' on Spain

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941–91Period study

Topic overview Early tension between East and West The development of the Cold War The Cold War intensifies Increased tension between East and West Cold War crises, 1958–70 Reaction to crisis, 1958–70 Attempts to reduce superpower tensions in the 1970s The end of détente and the ‘Second Cold War’The collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Europe, 1985-91

The American West, c1835–c1895Period study

Topic overview Indigenous peoples of the Plains: their beliefs and ways of life Migration and early settlement Conflict and tension, c1835–c1862 The development of settlement in the West Ranching and the cattle industry Changes in the ways of life of Indigenous peoples of the Plains Changes in farming, the cattle industry and settlement Conflict and tension, c1876–c1895 Indigenous peoples of the Plains: the destruction of their ways of life

The British Sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: Injuries, Treatment and the TrenchesPaper 1 option

Topic overview The British sector of the Western Front and the trench system Conditions requiring medical treatment on the Western Front Medical treatment on the Western Front Experiments in surgery and medicine on the Western Front Medicine in the early twentieth century Sources for a Western Front enquiry

The Reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216British depth

Topic overview The feudal system, 1189–1216 Kingship and succession, 1189–1216 Royal government and finances English society, 1189–1216 The nature of crusading Richard and the Third Crusade Aftermath of the crusade Richard, John and the loss of Normandy The dispute with the Papacy Worsening relations with the barons Magna Carta and the First Barons’ War England in 1216

The USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home and AbroadModern depth

Topic overview The position of Black Americans in the early 1950s Developments in education, 1954–60 The Montgomery Bus Boycott and its impact, 1955–60 Opposition to the civil rights movement Developments, 1960–62 Peaceful protests and their impact, 1963–65 Malcolm X and Black Power, 1963–70 The civil rights movement, 1965–75 Reasons for US involvement in the conflict in Vietnam, 1954–63 Escalation of the conflict under Johnson The nature of the conflict in Vietnam, 1964–68 Changes under Nixon, 1969–73 Opposition to the war Support for the war The peace process and end of the war Reasons for the failure of the USA in Vietnam

Warfare and British Society, c1250–presentPaper 1 option

Topic overview Factors driving change in warfare, c1250–present The nature of warfare, c1250–c1500 The experience of war, c1250–c1500 Case studies: the battles of Falkirk and Agincourt The nature of warfare, c1500–c1700 The experience of war, c1500–c1700 Case study: the Battle of Naseby, 1645 The nature of warfare, c1700–c1900 The experience of war, c1700–c1900 Case studies: the battles of Waterloo and Balaclava The nature of warfare, c1900–present The experience of war, c1900–present Case studies: the Somme and the Iraq War

Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39Modern depth

Topic overview The origins of the Republic, 1918–19 The early challenges to the Weimar Republic, 1919–23 The ‘Golden Years’: recovery of the Republic, 1924–29 Changes in society, 1924–29 Early development of the Nazi Party, 1920–22 The Munich Putsch and the Nazi Party, 1923–28 The growth in support for the Nazis, 1929–32 How Hitler became Chancellor, 1932–33 The creation of a dictatorship, 1933–34 The police state, 1933–39 Controlling and influencing attitudes Opposition, resistance and conformity Nazi policies towards women Nazi policies towards the young Employment and living standards The persecution of minorities

Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner CityPaper 1 option

Topic overview The local context of Whitechapel The inhabitants of Whitechapel The organisation of policing in Whitechapel Investigative policing in Whitechapel The Metropolitan Police and the national context Sources for a Whitechapel enquiry

Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City

6 subtopics
18 things to know
Paper 1
Paper 1, one thematic study with its linked historic environment, of four pairs

What Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City covers

Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City is examined in Paper 1, Thematic study and historic environment. It covers the local context of Whitechapel, the inhabitants of Whitechapel, the organisation of policing in Whitechapel, Investigative policing in Whitechapel, the Metropolitan Police and the national context and sources for a Whitechapel enquiry.

Where it is assessed

Paper 1

Thematic study and historic environment, 30% of the GCSE, one option of four.

Check the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗

The 6 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What kinds of crime and vice did the police face in Whitechapel in 1888?

Numbers

Which police forces investigated the Whitechapel murders, why was more than one involved, and where was the Metropolitan Police investigation run from?

Key term

What was a rookery?

Key term

What kind of work did most Whitechapel men and women depend on?

Who and when

Who was the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police answerable to?

Key term

What can census returns show a historian about conditions in Whitechapel?

Numbers

When did the Peabody Estate in Whitechapel open, and where was it built?

Key term

How were dock labourers taken on, and why did that keep them poor?

Key term

Which division of the Metropolitan Police covered Whitechapel, and where was its station?

Key term

Why could detectives of the 1880s get so little from physical clues left at a murder scene?

Key term

What sort of men were recruited as constables, and why did so many not last?

Key term

What was Charles Booth's survey of London?

Key term

What was the deterrent principle behind conditions inside a workhouse?

Key term

Why was work in a match factory dangerous?

Key term

How long did a constable normally take to walk his beat, and why did that matter?

Evaluation

What were house-to-house enquiries, and how far were they taken in the murder hunt?

Key term

How was the quality of recruits raised in the later 1880s?

Key term

What do housing and employment records reveal about people's lives in Whitechapel?

Take Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

Rookery vs Common lodging house
Rookery: a cluster of decaying slum buildings joined by narrow courts where wanted men hid. Common lodging house: a place renting a bed for the night in a shared room for about fourpence.
Peabody Estate vs Workhouse
Peabody Estate: the 1881 blocks on Commercial Street offering sound homes to respectable tenants. Workhouse: the institution offering food and shelter on deliberately harsh terms to the destitute.
H Division vs Criminal Investigation Department
H Division: the Metropolitan Police unit covering Whitechapel from Leman Street. Criminal Investigation Department: the plain-clothes detective branch created in 1878 after the bribery scandal.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Where in London was Whitechapel, and what sort of district was it in the late nineteenth century?
Model answer
It stood in the East End, immediately beyond the eastern boundary of the City of London, and was a densely packed inner-city district known for poverty and casual labour.
2
What was a rookery?
Model answer
A cluster of decaying, tightly packed slum buildings joined by narrow courts and passages, where the poorest lodged and wanted men could easily hide.
3
What did a notorious slum street such as Flower and Dean Street look like?
Model answer
Tall houses divided into single rented rooms and common lodging houses opening onto cramped courts, with a whole family often living in one room.
4
What power did the Artisans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act of 1875 give local authorities?
Model answer
It allowed them to buy up and pull down slum property so that better dwellings could be put up on the cleared land.
5
Why did clearing slums often leave the poorest residents worse off?
Model answer
Their old rooms were demolished but the replacement blocks charged higher rents, so they crowded into whatever slum property was left standing nearby.
6
Who was George Peabody and what did he do with his fortune?
Model answer
He was an American banker settled in London who gave a large sum to a trust founded to build sound, affordable homes for the city's working poor.

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Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88

British America, 1713–83: Empire and Revolution

Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95

Crime and Punishment in Britain, c1000–present

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AThe huge loss of life left England short of workers.

BForeign craftsmen and labourers were wanted.

CCompetition for work also bred resentment.

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Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City revision questions

What does Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City cover in Edexcel GCSE History?: 6 subtopics: the local context of whitechapel, the inhabitants of whitechapel, the organisation of policing in whitechapel, investigative policing in whitechapel, the metropolitan police and the national context and sources for a whitechapel enquiry. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner City organised?: By the Edexcel 1HI0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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