We are learning to: consider how crime and punishment has changed through the centuries. Criminal activity has always been a part of society. Early recorded crimes were very different to the sorts of crimes we would hear about in the 21 st Century. Why do you think this is? Speaking and Listening Discuss Crime through History

Theft: 73.5% of all offences Murder: 18.2% Receiving stolen goods: 6.2% Arson, counterfeiting coins, rape, treason and all others: 2.1% Were the Middle Ages lawless and violent? When we think of the Middle Ages, we think of castles and ruthless outlaws. It is difficult know what the real crime situation was in the past as there is the ‘dark figure’. This is the unreported crimes- those that never made it to the court system. The most common kinds of crime in the Middle Ages were: Court records are the main source of information but they only tell us about crime and criminals. How are the crime figures different today?

Crime between In this period, England became a more prosperous and more peaceful country. Some people became very well off – shown in the many fine houses they built, some can still be seen in our towns and countryside. At the same time, there were huge tensions in the country and a rising population forced thousands of people into poverty. There were rebellions. The rich and powerful had a lot to lose and felt that some types of people were a threat to them. They used the increased powers of the government to define new crimes - and so turned certain people into criminals. But did everybody agree with the government's definitions of crime? In the period covered by this section "the government" was not democratically elected. What happened if ordinary people disagreed about who should be treated as a criminal?

Highway robbery was a common crime in this period; people were in danger of being robbed if they travelled. There were few banks so people carried lots of their money with them. There was a problem with highway robbery, often the roads were in a quiet, lonely countryside and there were plenty of places to hide along the roads. The Highway Man He was involved in many crimes: burglary, murder, poaching deer and highway robbery. Turpin became famous and his crimes were romanticised after his death. Highway men had a reputation as classy criminals: courteous to women, well-mannered and honourable. Watch this video to find out more! Dick Turpin was an English highwayman and was held in York Castle and executed in York in 1739 as punishment for his crimes.

Crime between During this time period, Britain’s population rose significantly – from 10 million in 1750 to 42 million in People also moved from countryside to live in the cities. Life in the city was tough; disease was common, it was over-crowded and unclean. Industry developed and factories had machines. Working conditions were poor. Transport was also changing – coaches, canals and rail meant that large quantities of goods (and people!) could be transported. So how did these dramatic changes to the face of Britain affect crime? Was there more crime, or less? Were there different crimes? What did people at the time think was going on? Discuss your ideas

Policing How do you think this affected crime?

Crime in the 20 th Century Technology Economy War Beliefs Government How did developments in each of these areas change crime? Talk about your ideas with the person next to you and feedback to the tutor group. Click on the circles above to see some ideas. Click here for next taskhere

Technology. Several new inventions had effects on crime, but the greatest of these by far was the motorcar. Aeroplanes made international transport and smuggling easier. By the end of the century, the widespread use of computers created new kinds of crime. BACK

The economy. There were huge contrasts of wealth and poverty between areas and between classes for much of the century. In the search for work, people increasingly moved around the country, making communities less stable and people more unknown to each other. BACK

War. The two World Wars, and , brought all kinds of changes. Apart from the destruction of homes and towns, family life was disrupted by conscription and evacuation. The government acquired all kinds of new powers to intervene in people's lives. BACK

Government. In the twentieth century, the "Welfare State“ gave greater security to all citizens. For the first time in History, there was no danger of starving to death, or dying in total poverty. There was free medical care on the National Health Service and universal, free education to 16. The government also created laws intended to change attitudes, such as outlawing sex and race discrimination. BACK

Beliefs. At the same time, religious belief declined. Attitudes were shaped more by TV and newspapers than by the churches. BACK

Crime in 2015 How is this different to what we have seen from the 1400s to the 1900s? Why? Look at the data. Is it reliable? What does it tell us? Are the crimes similar through the ages or are we better at recording crime?

Crime through History Crime has changed over the centuries and one of the factors is the attitude of the government. The government pass laws and can decide what is or isn’t a crime. These can change; new crimes are created and old ones are abandoned. Do you think these laws are true or false? 1.It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. 2.It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down. 3.Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day. 4.In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of a toilet, you must let them enter. 5.In Florida, unmarried women, who parachute on a Sunday, could be jailed. They are all true! These laws have never been abandoned although new laws will override them if needed.