Victorian Underclass

In the late 1888, Jack the Ripper an unidentified but famous serial killer who killed mostly in the Whitechapel area. At this time England had experience an increase of Irish immigrants also combining with the Jewish refugees added to the already poor conditions of London’s poverty or under class. At this time in London social classes would be “distinguished by inequalities in such areas as power, authority, wealth, working and living conditions, life-styles, life-span, education, religion, and culture.” (Victorian Web) Women of this time, class, and location in Whitechapel would most likely resort to prostitution as an income and were Jack the Ripper’s targeted victims. According to Wikipedia, “In October 1888, the London Metropolitan Police estimated that there were 1,200 prostitutes "of very low class" resident in Whitechapel and about 62 brothels.”