East End of London

The East End of London, known locally as the East End, generally refers to the area of London, England, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames, although it is not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries. Use of the term began in the late 19th century and arose with the rapid expansion of the population in London, this led to extreme overcrowding throughout the area and a concentration of poor and immigrants. These problems were exacerbated with the construction of St Katharine Docks (1827), and the central London railway termini (1840-1875) that caused the clearance of former slums and rookeries, with many of the displaced moving into the East End. Over the course of a century, the East End became synonymous with poverty, overcrowding, disease and criminality The East End developed rapidly during the 19th century from being an area characterised by villages clustered around the City walls, or along the main roads, surrounded by farmland, with marshes and small communities by the River, serving the needs of shipping and the navy. Until the arrival of formal docks, shipping was required to land its goods in the Pool of London, but industries related to construction, repair, and victualling ships flourished from Tudor times. Successive waves of immigration began with Huguenot refugees creating a new extra-mural suburb in Spitalfields in the 17th century. They were followed by Irish weavers, Ashkenazi Jews and, in the last century, Bangladeshis. Many of these immigrants worked in the clothing industry. The abundance of semi- and unskilled labour led to low wages and poor conditions throughout the East End. This brought the attentions of social reformers during the mid-18th century and led to the formation of unions and workers associations, at the end of the century. The radicalism of the East End contributed to the formation of the Labour Party and demands for the enfranchisement of women.
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