What were living conditions like in Whitechapel 1888?

Answer 1

In the mid-19th century, England experienced an influx of Irish immigrants, who swelled the populations of England's major cities, including the East End of London. From 1882, Jewish refugees from eastern Europe and Tsarist Russia moved into the same area. The civil parish of Whitechapel in London's East End became increasingly overcrowded. Work and housing conditions worsened, and a massive economic underclass developed. Robbery, violence and alcohol dependency were commonplace, and the endemic poverty drove many women to prostitution. By 1848 there were 5,000 miles of railways in Britain and the network continued to expand rapidly in the later 19th century.

Railways provided a great boost to other industries such as iron. They also revolutionised transport. Journeys that would have taken days by stagecoach took hours by train.in 1871 bank holidays were created. In the 1870s some skilled workers were given a week's annual paid holiday. (Although it was not until 1939 that everybody had annual paid holidays). However by the 1890s the weekend was common as many people had Saturday afternoon off. At first the industrial revolution did cause much suffering to some people. However in the end it made a much higher standard of living possible for ordinary people. In the 18th century when goods were made by hand they were scarce and therefore expensive. Machines meant that goods could be mass produced and so they became much cheaper. Nevertheless by the end of the 19th century it was obvious that Britain was no longer as powerful as she had once been and needed allies in Europe.

Answer 2

For many of the people that lived in the Whitechapel area during the time of Jack The Ripper, life was very grim, indeed. Poverty was rampant, disease brought on by ignorance and filth killed many before adulthood, crime was commonplace as were broken homes, Alcoholism and unsafe working and living conditions. Author Jack London lived in the east end during 1901 so he could experience firsthand the horrendous lives and living conditions of the 'financially challenged' during Queen Victoria's rein. The result was People Of The Abyss, London's account of his time in the impoverished east end. It's not an easy read, requiring a strong stomach but it will give you an accurate, indept account of Jack The Ripper's Whitechapel.

Answer 3

The living conditions were horrible in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields area, London's east end during the rein of Jack The Ripper. Desease, unemployment, inflated rents, crime and hopelessness ran rampant. Alcohol and domestic abuse were commonplace. The boarding houses, with barely room for a small family, held 3 or 4 families instead. Infant mortaility was very high and the life expectancy for an adult was 40 years or so. Suicide was a very common form of escape. It is difficult to study the crimes of Jack The Ripper and not realize the dire living conditions of the east end.

Answer 4

it was very poor