east end of london whitechapel?

Question

what was the atmosphere like in whitechapel, london when jack the ripper was about.

Answer 1

Anxious, vigilant. People became terrorised by the idea of a mad, serial killer. There was no television or radio, but there were stories in the press of the time. News spread by word of mouth, so there was exaggeration and a degree of panic in the local population. Against this is the tradtion of British stiff upper lip, " well i wont happen to me!" I m not letting it stop me from going to work or I have to go out tonight to earn my way!
Perhaps you should read some of Charles Dickens or Charles Booth or other social writers from the time.
Jack the Ripper is a pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer (or killers) active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area and adjacent districts of London in the latter half of 1888. The name is taken from a letter to the Central News Agency by someone claiming to be the murderer, published at the time of the killings.

The legends surrounding the Ripper murders have become a combination of genuine historical research, conspiracy theory and folklore. The lack of a confirmed identity for the killer has allowed Ripperologists — the term used within the field for the authors, historians and amateur detectives who study the case — to accuse a wide variety of individuals of being the Ripper. Newspapers, whose circulation had been growing during this era, bestowed widespread and enduring notoriety on the killer owing to the savagery of the attacks and the failure of the police in their attempts to capture the Ripper, sometimes missing the murderer at his crime scenes by mere minutes.

Victims were women earning income as casual prostitutes. Typical Ripper murders were perpetrated in a public or semi-public place; the victim's throat was cut, after which the body was mutilated. Some believe that the victims were first strangled in order to silence them. The removal of internal organs from some victims has led to the proposal that the killer possessed anatomical or surgical knowledge or skill. Though many diverse theories have been advanced, the world may never know the true identity of Jack the Ripper

Answer 2

Victorian London - rich / poor divide.....prossies about as jack soon discovered, children had no rights and were denied education if they came from poor families. Many were taken out of school so that they could be put to work to increase family income.

Drinking was a social past time - much like now...more emphasis on family life....hope this helps..

Answer 3

I guess it was great.I mean,it was a poor neighborhood but actually I reckon it was interesting.It is very well described in the book written by Patricia Cornwell about the story of Jack the Ripper.

Answer 4

it was really creepy, people were scared for their lives, no one wanted to leave their houses at night, because it was the first serial killer ever everyone was on the look out for an monster and outsiders were unwelcomed.