Free printable teaching resource pack including four case studies on Whitechapel in 1880 using original historical documents for a document led enquiry/investigation.

Whitechapel in the late 1800s was an area of overpopulation, industry and crime. With such wide systemic issues it can be easy to lose sight of the experiences of the individuals who lived in the area. This lesson explores the historic environment through the interconnected lives of four individuals who lived in the area during the 1880s. What can the stories of two West Indian boxers, the daughter of an Irish carpet maker and a child born in Whitechapel itself reveal about the challenges and benefits of living around Commercial Street in the Victorian era?

Suitable for Edexcel GCSE History:

Whitechapel, c1870-c1900: crime, policing and the inner city
Migrants in Britain, c800–present
Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present

AQA GCSE History:
AC Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day