Crime and punishment & Whitechapel - Jacob Stelling

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT & WHITECHAPEL

PAPER 1

1HR 45MINS

UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION – TIME PERIODS

• In the question, you could be asked to refer to different time periods throughout this study.

• They may either ask you a question using centuries (remember that the year is one less than the century, i.e. 15th century is 1400)

• Or, they may ask the question by referring to the historical time periods chosen by the exam board.

1 – 1000 TO 1499

2 – 1500 TO 1699

3 – 1700 TO 1899

4 – 1900 TO PRESENT

EXAM QUESTION TYPES

Section A – Whitechapel

• Features question (4 marks)

• Source utility question (8 marks)

• Following up sources (4 marks)

Section B – Crime and Punishment

• Similarities/differences (4 marks)

• Explanation question (12 marks)

• Agree/disagree evaluation question (16 marks) (+4 SPaG)

MEDIEVAL ENGLAND (1000 TO 1499)

START: UNDERSTANDING

• This is the longest topic and so the exam board may divide it into smaller sections:

• Anglo Saxon Times (pre-1066)

• Norman Conquest (1066)

• Later Middle Ages

• Before the Norman Conquest, England was a very small country and, despite being unified under Roman rule, was still divided into smaller kingdoms.

• England as a kingdom only became a reality shortly before the Norman Conquest, with there being a number of ‘Kings of England’ the most famous of whom being Edward the Confessor and Harold Godwinson.

• Therefore, Anglo-Saxon England depended very much on the local community, with the role of the King and Church only increasing following William the Conqueror (William I)’s invasion.

CRIMES IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND

• Crimes such as treason and heresy didn’t exist yet.

• The most common crimes included things relating to people in your local community:

• Theft

• Murder

• Insulting other people

• Poaching

PUNISHMENTS IN ANGLO-SAXON TIMES

• People who committed minor crimes may be placed in the stocks for a period of time and locals could throw rotten food at you – designed to humiliate and deter.

• More serious crimes may have led to corporal punishment in the form of being whipped or the cutting off of limbs – intended to deter.

• Fines could also be paid – the most prominent example of this is the Wergild, money paid to the victim or the family of the victim in the event of a crime being committed.

• Prisons could be found around villages but these were small and not used for punishment – they would be used to hold a suspect before trial.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND

• Tithings – every ten men over the age of 13 join a tithe. If one person in the group commits a crime, everyone is punished.

• Hue and Cry – someone would raise the alarm that a crime had been committed and everyone had to join in to try to catch the criminal.

• Note, local communities are self-enforcing the law at this point. There is nothing organised on behalf of the King, although the nobility may get involved in an ad hoc basis.

TRIALS IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND

Trial by Jury

A jury was made up of people who knew the accused and made a judgement. The jury had to swear an Oath of Compurgation which meant that they believed they made the right decision.

Trial by Ordeal

This is the idea that God would be the judge of guilt – came in four main types:

• Trial by hot water – place a hand in boiling water, if it doesn’t heal then you’re guilty

• Trial by hot iron – hold a hot iron, if the hand heals then you’re innocent

• Trial by blessed bread – if you choke on the bread, it is a sign of guilt

• Trial by cold water – you are dumped in a river, if you sink then you’re guilty

Trial by ordeal shows the influence that the Church has in Anglo

Saxon justice.

God is believed to make the ultimate

judgement.

FACT RECALL QUESTIONS

1) Name two crimes which were committed in Anglo Saxon times.

2) What was the Saxon Wergild?

3) Were prisons used in Anglo Saxon times?

4) Explain two types of trial by ordeal.

Explain the role of local communities in crime and punishment prior to the Norman Conquest. (12)

1066

• In 1066, crisis hits England.

• Edward the Confessor, England’s long-serving King, dies in January.

• Harold Godwinson is chosen to succeed him to the throne, and fends off a Viking invasion in the North.

• However, immediately after the Viking invasion, the Duke of Normandy invades from France, and Harold Godwinson is shot in the eye (his cause of death is disputed – sorry that’s irrelevant)

• This allowed William of Normandy to become King William I of England, or William the Conqueror.

CHANGE AND CONTINUITY

• Throughout this study, we have to look at change and continuity to crime and punishment, and compare which things change and which stay the same (continuity) when there are different styles of government.

• For example, we have to be able to compare the differences between Anglo Saxon and Norman England.

NORMAN JUSTICE – CONTINUITY

• Tithings and the hue and cry remained.

• Capital punishment was still used to punish serious crimes.

• Trial by ordeal continued.

• The use of fines continued to punish people.

NORMAN JUSTICE – CHANGE

• The Saxon Wergild fine was now paid to the King, not the victim/their family.

• Church courts were introduced to try clergymen.

• William I introduced his ‘Forest Laws’ which criminalised many Anglo Saxon activities, such as cutting down trees for fuel or hunting certain animals.

• If a Norman was murdered, everyone in the area had to pay the Murdrum Fine.

• French and Latin became the languages used by the Government, although later on the Plantagenet Kings restored English as the official language.

• Trial by combat was added to the existing types of trial by ordeal.

• Women had fewer rights.

EXAM TECHNIQUE – SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES

EXPLAIN ONE SIMILARITY/DIFFERENCE BETWEEN [FACTOR] IN [PERIOD] AND [PERIOD]. (4 MARKS)

e.g. Explain one similarity between trials in Anglo Saxon and Norman England.

When you see this question, if you can’t recall the specific information you need immediately, draw a small table/write down everything that you know about the factor in both time periods and look for one similarity/difference.

e.g. One similarity between trials in Anglo Saxon England and Norman England was that trial by ordeal continued to be used. Initially used by the Anglo Saxons, this was a method of trying a criminal whereby the suspect underwent an ‘ordeal’ and then God would determine their guilt; this was usually decided based on whether a wound was healed. However, in Norman times, trial by combat was added as an additional ordeal that could be used.

LATER MIDDLE AGES – THE CHURCH

Church courts Benefit of the clergy

Neck verse Sanctuary Trial by Ordeal

These were courts,intended mainly for

the clergy, which could also try

crimes.

They were preferable as they often passed more lenient sentences

than other courts –they never used

the death penalty.

The ‘benefit of the clergy’ was the term used to

describe the fact that only

clergymen had access to these

courts.

However, more and more people began

to use them.

To combat this, the Church introduced

the ‘neck verse’ whereby to gain access to church courts you had to

recite a bible passage.

But, people just learnt the verse off

by heart.

If you were wanted for a crime, you

could claim sanctuary in a

Church, and you couldn’t be

arrested.

After 40 days, you had to choose

between standing trial or leaving the

country.

In 1215, the Popeordered that Trial

by Ordeal was ended as it was

deemed unreliable.

LATER MIDDLE AGES – THE CHURCH

How did the Church help justice? How did the Church hinder justice?

• Ended trial by ordeal.• Made efforts to ensure that the Church courts

were not abused.• Made sure that criminals either stood trial or left

the country.

• Church courts continued to exist.

LATER MIDDLE AGES – CHANGES

• PARISH CONSTABLE – directed the hue and cry, was a well respected person from the local area, reported all unnatural deaths to the coroner.

• COUNTY SHERRIFF – organised a ‘posse’ of people to catch criminals who had evaded the hue and cry.

• ROYAL COURTS – set up by the king, a royal judge would preside whilst a jury made the final decision, used for major crimes.

• MANOR COURTS – used for less serious crimes, organised by local nobility.

THE DEATH PENALTY IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND

• The death penalty became increasingly used as the influence of the King was extended.

• You could buy a pardon from the death penalty for a large sum of money.

• You could also claim sanctuary or join the army in times of war to escape the death penalty.

EARLY MODERN ENGLAND

CHANGING NATURE OF CRIMES

• Some crimes remained the same, whilst some new crimes became more common during this period:

• Theft (continuity)

• Vagabondage (change)

• Selling rotten goods (continuity)

• Treason (change)

• Heresy (continuity)

• Witchcraft (change)

CHANGING NATURE OF PUNISHMENTS

• Whipping (continuity)

• Stocks (continuity)

• Public executions (continuity)

• Prisons (change)

• Scolds Bridle (change)

• Hanging, drawing and quartering (change)

FLASHPOINT – GUNPOWDER PLOT• Began the Reformation as he changed England’s religion to Protestantism

from Catholicism so that he could divorce his wife.Henry VIII

• A fierce Protestant, he died young and heirless.Edward VI

• Became Queen of England for 9 days after Edward left her the throne to prevent the Catholic Mary from getting it, who overthrew Jane after 9 days. Lady Jane Grey

• Reverted England’s religion back to Catholicism, and ordered the execution of over 300 Protestants. This was why she became known as Bloody Mary.Mary I

• Elizabeth then restored Protestantism although didn’t crack down on underground Catholicism.Elizabeth I

• Treated Catholics much more violently than Elizabeth had done, declaring his ‘utter detestation’ for them.James I

FLASHPOINT – THE GUNPOWDER PLOT

• Robert Catesby and fellow conspirators hatched a plan to blow up Parliament to kill the Protestant king, James I, while simultaneously kidnapping James’ daughter and raising her as a Catholic.

• Guy Fawkes was responsible for placing 36 barrels of gunpowder in a vault below the Houses of Parliament.

• However, an anonymous letter was sent to Lord Monteagle warning him not to attend Parliament as it would ‘receive a mighty blow’.

• He took this letter straight to James’ right hand man, Robert Cecil, who found and arrested Fawkes.

• Catesby and other conspirators fled, but after Guy Fawkes revealed their names under torture, they were hunted and engaged by royal troops.

• Catesby was killed in the battle, but the survivors, including Fawkes, were found guilty and hung, drawn and quartered in London.

SOCIAL CHANGES IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND

Population growth

There was in increase in population during this period, and so it was harder to find work.

This forced many people to either turn to crimes such as theft or were left unemployed, and therefore facing the harsh punishments for vagabondage.


Economic changes

People remained poor around this time, and when England was hit with a series of bad harvests, there was a rise in food prices and a decline in trade.

This again may have led to an increased number of crimes and/or vagabondage.


Printing

Following the invention of the printing press, many books and pamphlets were distributed around towns and villages which publicised crimes and increased public fears.

This led to the government to introduce harsher punishments in an attempt to reassure people that crime would fall.


Religious change

During this time, England underwent a period of religious turmoil as different monarchs were Protestant or Catholic.

This led to an increase in crimes such as heresy (crimes against the Church) and treason (plotting against the monarch) as well as increased accusations of witchcraft as Catholicism relied much more heavily on superstition than Protestantism did.


Political change

Royal authority was a very strong factor on crime and punishment under Tudor monarchs such as Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I, as well as James I.

However, following the English Civil War during Charles I’s reign, and then the upheaval of Cromwell and Charles II, people felt ‘upside down’.

There was a breakdown in law and order as assize judges couldn’t visit certain areas and so, with a lack of royal justice, people took the law into their own hands – increasing accusations of witchcraft and handing power to the Witchfinder General.


Landowners Attitudes

Middle class landowners were becoming more influential as they became elected to the House of Commons, which was gaining additional powers.

They felt threatened by the poor who they were worried would diminish their wealth, and so enforced harsher laws and punishments to keep the poor in their place.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND

The role of citizens – change and continuity

Citizens were still expected to take part in the hue and cry.

However, a change is that they could now request an arrest warrant from the local magistrate and so arrest the criminal themselves.


Constables

No uniform or weapons, they didn’t go on patrol. They could hand out punishments and were responsible for locking up criminals.

Town watchmen

Their role changed during this time. They had a greater focus on arresting vagabonds and had new powers such as being allowed to look through windows to check people weren’t committing crimes.

Sergeants

A new role created as trade increased. They were responsible for patrolling markets, weighing goods, handing out fines and enforcing regulations.


JoPs

These were local judges who worked in manor courts and often reported to the Lords Lieutenant. They were wealthy landowners and could issue fines, send people to the pillory or order floggings.

Magistrates

A new role created to issue arrest warrants to allow the capture of criminals.


Royal power – change and continuity

Royal Judges

Continued in their role, visiting each county twice a year to rule on serious cases. They were also known as County Assizes.

The army

Could be used by the monarch to put down protests, deal with riots and stop organised gangs – their use was unpopular

Habeas Corpus

This was a new ‘right’ which stopped the government locking someone up without charge. However, the government often just made up the evidence.


Changes to the role of the Church

Benefit of the Clergy

Although still ongoing, there were new restrictions added, such as those accused of serious crimes were no longer allowed to claim the benefit of the clergy and would be tried in the royal courts.

PURPOSE OF PUNISHMENTS

HUMILIATION – the pillory was used to embarrass people into not committing more crimes.

REFORM – Houses of Correction were prisons where hard labour was performed to try to make people see the errors of their ways. HoCs were early prisons.

COMPENSATION – fines were still payed to the authorities and to other civilians.

RETRIBUTION – the scolds bridle could be requested by a husband or other male against a woman who they argued had insulted them. The bridle stopped women from talking as if they moved their tongue it would be pierced by a metal spike.

DETERRENT – whipping and carting were common examples, however as the Empire expanded transportation did become an option.

THE BLOODY CODE

• The Bloody Code was introduced in Early Modern England and massively expanded the number of crimes for which someone could be executed.

REASONS FOR THE BLOODY CODE

Landowners attitudes

Landowners in Parliament were worried about increases in theft and so made punishments harsher.

Public attitudes

The printing press had made the public much more aware of ongoing crimes and thus increased a fear of crime.

Crime wave

There were an increased number of crimes and so the government wanted to be seen to be acting harshly.

Population control

The population was booming and it was unsustainable so the Bloody Code helped to keep the population under relative control.

THE BLOODY CODE IN PRACTICE

Role of judges

There wasn’t a massive increase in the number of executions because judges often didn’t hand out the maximum sentence for minor crimes, meaning few people were actually executed for the new capital crimes.

Role of juries

Many juries often carried out ‘pious perjury’ where they only found a suspect guilty of minor crimes which stopped them from being executed.

CASE STUDY – WITCHCRAFT AND MATTHEW HOPKINS

Why was there an increase in witchcraft accusations in Early Modern England?

Henry VIII first made witchcraft illegal in 1542, and their persecution continued under subsequent monarchs.

James I wrote a book called ‘Demonology’ which called for very harsh punishments for those found guilty of witchcraft, which meant many people took the law into their own hands.

After England became securely Protestant, many Catholics were accused of being witches.

The English Civil War also made it harder for assize judges to maintain order so many took the law into their own hands.

Propaganda and fears of witches were also spread much more easily following the invention of the printing press.

MATTHEW HOPKINS – THE WITCHFINDER GENERAL

• Hopkins accused over 200 people of being witches, his first victim being Elizabeth Clarke.

• People often accepted his accusations as he targeted poor people and widows.

• Hopkins originally looked for the Devil’s Mark and evidence of a ‘familiar’ – an animal was summoned by a witch.

• He would also ‘prick’ his suspects and if they didn’t bleed then they were considered a witch.

• To get confessions, he exhausted his subjects and kept them awake for hours on end.

• Hopkins was led by money, as he charged 1 pound for each witch he prosecuted.

• He needed a magistrate’s permission to sentence a woman to death.

• As he became more experienced, he used dunking to get confessions – this was often rigged to ensure that the women floated and so were accused of witchcraft.

THE CHANGING TREATMENT OF VAGABONDS

The treatment of vagabonds can be seen as having changed a lot during the 16th century, but actually, did it change very much?

1531 – vagabonds were whipped and returned to their birthplace

1547 – on the first offence, vagabonds now endured 2 years of slavery, second offence was slavery for life or execution

1550 – the 1547 Act was too harsh and so reverted back to the rules from 1531

1572 – on the first offence, whipping and burning through the ear, second offence was execution

1576 – Houses of Correction were also used on the first offence

1593 – reverted back to rules from 1531

1598 – rules from 1531, multiple offences could land you time in HoC, banishment or execution

WHAT AFFECTED VAGABONDAGE?

Rising population

This increased unemployment so more people had to become vagabonds.

Printing press

Identified and demonised vagabonds, as well as spreading a fear of vagabonds.

Travel

More people could travel to the towns looking for jobs so vagabonds were often concentrated in towns.

Poverty

The more people in poverty, the more vagabonds and so punishments were made harsher to decrease the number.

Public attitudes

As vagabondage became more accepted to the public, punishments became less harsh.

18TH AND 19TH CENTURY BRITAIN

CASE STUDY - HIGHWAY ROBBERY

What was highway robbery?

Highway robbery was where masked bandits would attack the carriages of wealthy individuals as they were travelling, and stealing all of the valuables within.

This was done using horses and guns, and was a real problem in England for a brief amount of time.

WHY DID HIGHWAY ROBBERY INCREASE?

• Horses became cheaper to buy.

• Handguns were easier and cheaper to buy, and could be loaded and fired more quickly.

• Local constables didn’t cross county borders so it was easy to escape.

• More wealthy people travelled in their own carriages.

• Taverns in remote places gave highwaymen an easy place to sell the stolen goods.

• After wars ended, many soldiers were without work.

• In the 18th century, there were many small, bumpy roads where isolated coaches had to slow down.

WHY DID HIGHWAY ROBBERY DECREASE?

• The roads became much busier as road surfaces got better so it was harder to go unnoticed.

• Banks became more popular so people didn’t carry as many valuables with them in their coaches.

• JoPs stopped giving licenses to taverns that allowed highwaymen to sell stolen goods.

• As towns increased in size, there was less open land on which to attack coaches.

• More enclosures developed which made it harder to manoeuvre horses.

• Mounted patrols were set up around major towns and people were offered rewards for information that helped to catch highwaymen.

• Road surfaces improved so coaches could travel at faster speeds.

POACHING

• Hunting had been a popular sport for all classes before it was limited by William I’s Forest Laws – this is a good example of linking the topics together.

• The 1723 Black Act made hunting deer, hare or rabbits a capital crime. If you had a blackened face (hence the name) you were assumed to be poaching and therefore executed anyway.

• Your land had to be worth over £100 to be allowed to hunt. For everyone else, it was illegal.

• Gamekeepers were armed guards who were employed by landowners to catch poachers.

• Most poachers were poor people who weren’t hunting for sport, but for food.

• Juries often defended poachers as they understood that they had no choice but to find food.

• As the population increased and the black market expanded, poaching became increasingly lucrative.

SMUGGLING (18TH / 19TH CENTURY)

• Smuggling was mainly the transportation of legal items into the country to avoid taxes at this point.

• Even the wealthy people did it to save money – even government ministers!

• Smuggling gangs were very well armed and there wasn’t a strong border force to stop them.

• Locals often worked with the smugglers in exchange for payment.

• Taxes and tariffs were high due to the number of wars going on, so it made smuggling more attractive to people.

TRADE UNIONS

• Trade unions were not explicitly illegal, although people were often arrested regardless.

• One poster from the time warned that joining any illegal societies was a crime that could be punished by:

• Being fined twenty pounds

• Three years in a House of Correction

• Seven years transportation to Australia

WHY WAS THE GOVERNMENT SCARED?

• The British government was terrified of all organised protest ever since the French Revolution of 1789.

• This meant that anyone who did anything suspicious was considered a threat and so had to be monitored and sometimes arrested.

• It was not illegal to be part of a trade union, but lawmakers and businessmen were scared of the idea of a workforce uniting and may even have demanded better pay/conditions.

• The largest of them all was the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union – GNCTU.

CASE STUDY – THE TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS

Workers in the Dorset village of Tolpuddle led by George Loveless had repeatedly asked their employers on the farm to raise wages, although they refused.

Therefore, in 1833 they formed a group called the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Each man had to swear an oath of secrecy but yet the farm owners found about them anyway.

Although being part of the trade union itself was not illegal, the government prosecuted the men under an old naval law that outlawed the taking of secret oaths.

The six men involved were arrested and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.

However, there was a mass public outcry and a petition calling for their release received 250,000 signatures.

After a voyage of 111 days, the Tolpuddle Martyrs arrived in Sydney, and three years later, in 1836, the Government granted them a pardon.

THE ABOLITION OF THE BLOODY CODE

• By 1841, the capital crimes that remained were murder and treason.

• By 1868, public executions had been outlawed and the last public hanging took place.

Why was it abolished?

• Juried deemed it too harsh and so were unwilling to exact the maximum sentence.

• People were emboldened by this and so more crimes were committed.

• Public executions often started riots or provided an opportunity for criminals to escape.

• People didn’t see the death penalty as a form of punishment and saw it as a form of entertainment.

• Public attitudes shifted and many saw that the punishments were disproportionate to the crime.

• Transportation had emerged as a viable alternative as the Empire expanded.

WHY DID PRISONS NEED REFORMING?

Why did prisons need to be reformed?

• All prisoners were housed together

• Dark and dingy

• Riots

• Debauchery

• Alcohol and prostitution were common

• Jailers weren’t paid much and so were corrupt

• You could pay someone else to serve your sentence for you

THE WORK OF JOHN HOWARD

• Howard became interested in prisons while he worked as the Sherriff of Bedfordshire.

• In 1777 he published a report called ‘The State of Prisons in England and Wales’ that proposed:

• Healthier accommodation

• Separation of prisoners by gender

• Better food

• Better guards

• But he was criticised by members of the public for being too lenient.

ROBERT PEEL’S GAOLS ACT OF 1823

This was a law which was the initial way that prisons were changed:

• Prisoners were separated by gender.

• All prisoners had to attend chapel.

• Prisons had to be kept clean with fresh water and proper sewage collection.

• Prison wardens and governors were paid to reduce corruption.

• Prisoners must be given proper food.

• Prisoners were no longer allowed to keep pets.

THE WORK OF ELIZABETH FRY

• When Fry first visited women in prison, she found 300 women and their children crammed into three rooms amid crying and screaming. She also saw a dead baby.

• She highlighted the exploitation of female prisoners by male wardens.

• She set up prayer groups for women and even a school for children in Newgate Prison.

• Her work had a massive influence on Robert Peel’s Gaols Act.

• Much like Howard, she was criticised for being too lenient.

SEPARATE SYSTEM

• In the separate system, prisoners spent most of their time alone and communication was made very difficult.

• It kept them away from other prisoners and allowed them time to reflect.

Benefits Negatives

• Ensured that prisoners could no longer negatively influence each other.

• Ended the perception that prisoners were ‘schools of crime’.

• Had severe psychological impacts on the prisoners.

• Sometimes led to suicide.• Increased the building costs.

LAYOUT OF PENTONVILLE PRISON

• Pentonville Prison was specifically laid out to allow the wardens to always see what was going on and to keep track of the prisoners.

• If it was necessary, extra officers could be diverted to an area if trouble broke out.

• During this time, the purpose of prisons was shifting from just being there to punish to also being there to rehabilitate and encourage prisoners to reform.

SILENT SYSTEM

• The silent system was introduced because there was a huge fear of crime at the time due to garrotting gangs.

• People believed that some prisoners could not be reformed as they were considered the ‘criminal sort’ and so a tougher system was needed to deter them.

• In the silent system, you had to be silent at all times or else you could have been flogged or had your food rations reduced.

• Hard wooden bunks replaced comfortable hammocks.

• Food was adequate but not as good as in mainstream prisons.

• Prisoners were forced to always do hard labour.

TRANSPORTATION

Evidence of success Evidence of failure

• Helped Britain to take control of Australia by having people work there and develop the country.

• Allowed an alternative to the death penalty which still acted as a good deterrent.

• Some people saw it as a holiday.• Many ex-criminals were able to live peaceful lives

in Australia.• There were protests from many of the

indigenous peoples.• The Australian Gold Rush provided benefits to

the criminals who had been transported.• The crime rate continued to increase.• In the 1830s it was costing £500,000 per year.• Wages were higher in Australia so ex-criminals

were better off.

WHO WAS ROBERT PEEL?

• Robert Peel was a well-respected politician.

• He was Home Secretary and later was elected as Prime Minister.

• He was responsible for setting up the Metropolitan Police Force in 1829 and passing the Gaols Act of 1823.

FIELDING BROTHERS

• The Fielding Brothers took over the Bow Street Magistrates Court in 1748.

• They established the Bow Street Runners, which acted as a private police force to investigate crimes and present evidence in court.

• However, this was limited in its effectiveness as there was no coordination between the constables, watchmen and Bow Street Runners.

• They also introduced a horse patrol around London to combat highway robbery – this was completely effective and ended highway robbery around the capital.

• Their newspaper, ‘The Hue and Cry’ passed on information about criminals, crimes and stolen goods to the public and the rest of the country, with the information supplied by local magistrates around the country.

WHY WAS THE MET SET UP IN 1829?

Work of Robert Peel

He was appointed Home Secretary in 1822.

He was very persuasive and convinced people that a police force was necessary and would not limit people’s freedoms.

He used statistics to back up his argument which made it harder for people to argue against him.


Taxation

The Napoleonic Wars had forced the government to get more involved in people’s lives and could thus raise more money to pay for the police force.

Local authorities were also given powers to raise money for police forces outside London as the central government initially only funded the Met.


Crime rate

Crimes were increasing massively in this time, specifically violent crimes.

People demanded protection and therefore were more likely to accept a police force.

It also provided employment for soldiers returning from France to help them to avoid turning to a life of crime.


French Revolution and landowners’ attitudes

After the French Revolution, many landowners – who were also in Parliament – were worried that there might also be a revolution in Britain.

They believed that they needed a police force to help to control the large scale protests which had erupted following an increase in food prices in London.


Rapid growth of towns

The rapid industrialisation of the country had meant that towns had expanded at an unprecedented rate. This meant that the previous system of law enforcement of town watchmen and constables was no longer adequate, and so it was simply a replacement of the old system.

SOCIAL CHANGES IN THE 19TH CENTURY

• The population increased massively during this time period, and this was one of the reasons why people felt a police force was necessary.

• Fewer harvests failed so food wasn’t really in short supply, and as the Empire expanded we saw an increase in people joining the armed forces, so a decrease in vagabondage and poaching.

• As tax revenues increased from around the Empire, the government could afford to invest much more money in things such as law enforcement and infrastructure, and people’s quality of life began to increase.

• However, new scientific work done convinced people of the existence of a ‘criminal sort’ who could not be rehabilitated, only punished.

20TH CENTURY TO PRESENT

CHANGING CRIME SINCE 1900

• According to the official statistics, the number of crimes massively increased since 1900.

• However, there maybe reasons to explain this without such a huge crime surge…

• More people will report burglary and theft as they have to in order to claim on the insurance

• Communication is much easier and so it becomes easier to report crimes

• People have grown to trust the police and so feel more comfortable reporting sensitive crimes such as rape.

CHANGES TO SMUGGLING

18th century 20th century-present

Items smuggled Brandy and other alcoholTeaCloth

TobaccoAlcoholDrugsPeople

Reasons for smuggling To avoid taxesBig profitsLegal goods at lower prices

Cheaper than in shopsTo make profitPublic demand for drugs

Methods used Smugglers brought ships to isolated covesItems moved from coastal areas to towns

Hidden in bagsSwallowed

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

• Conscientious objectors refuse to take part in a war or conflict for moral or religious reasons.

• In WW1, around 16,000 men were COs, many pointing to the Bible commandment ‘thou shalt not kill’ and arguing that the war was not the problem of ordinary people.

• COs had to appear before a local tribunal to present their case, and some were given alternative work either at home or on the front line. Over 6,000 conscientious objectors refused to accept the ruling of the tribunals and so were sent to prison, facing solitary confinement and hard labour.

• They also lost their right to vote until 1926.

• Their treatment was fairer during the Second World War, and greater efforts were made to ensure that there was more alternative work available.

• However, in both instances, the public considered COs cowards and they were demonised in the press.

Crime and punishment & Whitechapel - Jacob Stelling

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Transcript of Crime and punishment & Whitechapel - Jacob Stelling