Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper

History Coursework

1. From source A, a newspaper article, we can learn that Polly

Nicholls and Martha Tabram's murders were without reason and they were

chosen at random by the killer. We learn mainly that the attack was

very violent and that the killer put an excess of effort into the

attacks. The girls are not linked except that they are the poorest of

the poor and have both been murdered. We also learn more about the

nature of the attack. Though the information is not necessarily true

as it is taken from a newspaper article, which is a primary source but

is also likely to be bias or sensationalised. The article also states

that she was 'the poorest of the poor' which allows money to be

excluded as a motive. The murders have been linked but there has been

no proof provided and the story will have been exaggerated to keep the

readers interested.

2. Source C is an official report of Dr Frederick Blackwell on the

body of Elizabeth Stride describing the state of the body when it

was found. As it is an official document it is very unlikely to be

bias and is also a primary source, which would make it very

reliable. All of the sources do agree that the attacks were

violent, were done with a knife and the victims were very poor.

Source A is a newspaper article with its purpose being to

entertain and interest readers. It has exaggerated the main points

of the murders but has included no detail and has described the

killer as a blood hungry madman. This differs from source B, which

is a section of a coroners report, and also differs from source C

as they describe the killer as more calculated than that and are