Crime in Whitechapel

Group of the poor of London

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Why was 19th century Whitechapel so difficult to police?

Why was 19th century Whitechapel so difficult to police?

Using original documents from our collection, students will explore the key features of Whitechapel in the 19th century to uncover why this area was such a challenge for the Metropolitan Police. Students will also discover how the police sought to overcome these challenges, from dressing as women to developing silent footwear, in their bid to rid Whitechapel of Jack the Ripper.

Connections to the curriculum:

  • EDEXCEL GCSE History (9-1) Crime and Punishment Through Time
  • OCR GCSE History B (9–1) Schools History Project: Crime and Punishment, c.1250 to present

Session options

This session is delivered as a:

Workshop

at The National Archives

2 hours

Availability: All year

Cost: Free to UK schools

Suitability: Key stage 3 -4

Request a booking

Contact us

All activities must be booked in advance.

Tel: +44 (0)20 8392 5365

Fax: +44 (0)20 8487 9202

Email: education@nationalarchives.gov.uk