5.2.1

Alcohol & Immigration

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Alcohol, Poverty and Immigration in Whitechapel

There were many challenges facing the people of Whitechapel. This included issues of alcohol, poverty and immigration.

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Alcohol

  • Alcohol was certainly a way of coping with the pressures of life in Whitechapel.
  • Many people drank a lot and ultimately became alcohol dependent as a result.
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The relationship between drink and crime

  • This dependency led to a rise in crime as many resorted to this to fund their needs.
  • However, alcohol also left Whitechapel residents vulnerable to crime.
    • The victims of Jack the Ripper were believed to have been alcohol dependent too which led to them being targets.
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Immigration in Whitechapel

  • As a result of there being plenty of places for people to sleep and usually a fair number of places offering work Whitechapel was a place where immigrants flocked.
  • Immigrants were attracted to the work available in the copious Tanneries, where leather is processed, sweatshops, slaughter houses and butchers.
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Russian Jews

  • Russian Jews fled to London in large numbers after the death of the Tsar.
  • They fled persecution in Russia preferring a life of poverty in England.
  • The language barrier and religious rituals made them targets for prejudice, resulting in them working in the worst jobs and making it hard for them to integrate into society.
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Irish immigrants

  • There were also a large number of Irish immigrants regularly arriving in Whitechapel, attracted again by the opportunities for employment.

Jump to other topics

1Medieval England, 1000-1500

2Early Modern England, 1500-1700

318th & 19th Century Britain

4Modern Britain, 1900-Present

5Whitechapel Local Study

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