Policing London - The Thief-Taker General - Extra History - Part 1

SdĂ­let
VloĆŸit
  • čas pƙidĂĄn 29. 11. 2019
  • 📜 History of Policing London: The Thief-Taker General -These days we kind of assume that police are a normal part of law and order. But that wasn't always the case. In fact, it wasn't the case for a lot of human history. So how did we start thinking of police as a natural part of a city? It all starts in London with the Thief-Taker General Jonathan Wilde, a man of two faces. Which one is real: valiant crime fighter or the puppet master of London's underbelly?
    * Watch Extra History ad-free & get 1-week early access on NEBULA go.nebula.tv/extrahistory
    * Suggest & Vote on our next episodes, get exclusive content & 24-hour early access on PATREON bit.ly/EHPatreon
    * Show off your fandom with MERCH from our store! extracredits.store/
    * Interested in sponsoring an episode?* Email us: extracredits@standard.tv
    TWITTER: bit.ly/ECTweet I FACEBOOK: bit.ly/ECFBPage
    INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/ECisonInstagram I TIKTOK: bit.ly/ECtiktokz
    BLUESKY: bit.ly/ECBlueSky I TWITCH: bit.ly/ECtwitch
    GAMING: / @extracredits
    Miss an episode in our Policing London Series?
    Part 1 - ‱ Policing London - The ...
    Part 2 - ‱ Policing London - The ...
    Part 3 - ‱ Policing London - The ...
    Part 4 - ‱ Policing London - His ...
    Part 5 - ‱ Policing London - Scot...
    Series Wrap-up & Recommended Reading / Lies Episode - ‱ Policing London - Lies...
    â™Ș "Alleyways and Truncheons" by Tiffany RomĂĄn - ‱ ♫ "Alleyways & Trunche...
    Thanks for the high-quality conversations & for following our community guidelines here: bit.ly/ECFansRNice
    Artist: Ali R Thome I Writer: Robert Rath I Showrunner & Narrator: Matthew Krol I Editor: Joe Russell & Mac Owens I â™Ș Music by Demetori: bit.ly/1EQA5N7 I
    #ExtraHistory #London #History

Komentáƙe • 1,2K

  • @extrahistory
    @extrahistory  Pƙed 4 lety +1929

    Thief-Taker General and Cutthroat Criminal Mastermind? Get yourself someone who can do both.

  • @Mathmachine
    @Mathmachine Pƙed 4 lety +5442

    "Running a prominent gang known as The Mathematicians." I mean, if you ask most people, multiplication and division are really scary.

    • @tommyfox854
      @tommyfox854 Pƙed 4 lety +58

      agreed.

    • @bthsr7113
      @bthsr7113 Pƙed 4 lety +78

      And most people need more education, see?

    • @NotHPotter
      @NotHPotter Pƙed 4 lety +93

      They got nothing on exponentiation.

    • @Pyrian
      @Pyrian Pƙed 4 lety +131

      Especially if you're the one being divided.

    • @robertwalpole360
      @robertwalpole360 Pƙed 4 lety +19

      Maths.

  • @avonic2874
    @avonic2874 Pƙed 4 lety +1941

    Wilde: "He's a liar!"
    Public: "hm yeah yeah"
    Wilde: "and... gay"
    Public: *GASP*

    • @countbinfaceglobalpresiden7926
      @countbinfaceglobalpresiden7926 Pƙed 4 lety +87

      Public to Hitchin:"why are you gae"

    • @LostSwiftpaw
      @LostSwiftpaw Pƙed 4 lety +12

      @@CrazyNerdMonkey
      Being gay isn't bad?

    • @garrettallen7427
      @garrettallen7427 Pƙed 4 lety +85

      Wild: he’s a liar your honor and corrupt
      The judge: yeah so what everyone is
      Wild: *HE ALSO HAS THE BIG GAY*
      The judge: *UNACCEPTABLE*

    • @finndonnelly9062
      @finndonnelly9062 Pƙed 4 lety +15

      BE GAY DO CRIME

    • @joshuamarvin7400
      @joshuamarvin7400 Pƙed 4 lety +23

      @@garrettallen7427 Honestly, Corruption was considered simply the 'necessary upkeep' of law and order at the time. It was so entrenched that you just hoped to find someone so good at their job that whatever they stole or extorted could be called a reasonable salary.

  • @Diceyed
    @Diceyed Pƙed 4 lety +2764

    Hitchen: "Wilde is a thief!
    Wilde: "Hitchen is Gay!"
    Everyone else: "huh, he makes a point"

    • @MerkhVision
      @MerkhVision Pƙed 4 lety +93

      Seems like some things never change lol

    • @skyes4552
      @skyes4552 Pƙed 4 lety +57

      *IF YOU'RE GAY, THEN YOU'RE TO BLAME*
      (SARCASM)

    • @peterson7082
      @peterson7082 Pƙed 4 lety +53

      @@skyes4552 If he breathes, he's a thot.

    • @GarthTheMighty
      @GarthTheMighty Pƙed 4 lety +54

      I mean, totally independent of that, he was a terrible person. We should remember that.

    • @friendlyindianscammer2887
      @friendlyindianscammer2887 Pƙed 3 lety +3

      1k like

  • @Shawn_Babcock
    @Shawn_Babcock Pƙed 4 lety +4148

    Ah so Wilde used the tried and true argument to discredit someone
    “Ur gay”

    • @bigguy978978
      @bigguy978978 Pƙed 4 lety +176

      No u

    • @MrLDAndrade
      @MrLDAndrade Pƙed 4 lety +142

      He actually got cancelled

    • @fluoridegood4you622
      @fluoridegood4you622 Pƙed 4 lety +156

      We've evolved from such base accusations, Now its
      "Ur antisemitic"

    • @greymind9815
      @greymind9815 Pƙed 4 lety +142

      @@fluoridegood4you622 yeah stuff like
      "Ur a commie"
      Yeah and? Workers rise up

    • @Boyd2342
      @Boyd2342 Pƙed 4 lety +24

      @@fluoridegood4you622 shut the fuck up boomer

  • @Pikazilla
    @Pikazilla Pƙed 4 lety +2742

    side note: discharging soldiers and sailors at this time period also lead to The Golden Age of Piracy.

    • @greymind9815
      @greymind9815 Pƙed 4 lety +173

      And its great that we take care of our vets so they aren't homeless or things like that

    • @chowyee5049
      @chowyee5049 Pƙed 4 lety +237

      It's quite a common phenomenon. Civil War veterans also became bandits in the Wild West such as in the case of Jesse James. Even ISIS was substantially composed of former members of Saddam Hussein's military. Disenfranchised soldiers make deadly criminals.

    • @evanulven8249
      @evanulven8249 Pƙed 4 lety +34

      @@greymind9815 Easier to make sure police are more heavily armed than the populace and given carte blance to "enforce the law" as they see fit.

    • @PrototypeSpaceMonkey
      @PrototypeSpaceMonkey Pƙed 4 lety +37

      That and Gol D. Roger's execution.

    • @blueberry1vom1t
      @blueberry1vom1t Pƙed 4 lety +36

      @@evanulven8249 Wow it sure is nice heavily armed police forces have no flaws and that our vets are taken good care of today. America certainly is the best country in the world. Nothing could ever possibly go wrong from here.

  • @curumu_yt
    @curumu_yt Pƙed 4 lety +2645

    "He runs a criminal empire"
    Georgians: Hmmm
    "He also is gay"
    Georgians: Now that's it! Do him in!

  • @bradleyogilvie8869
    @bradleyogilvie8869 Pƙed 4 lety +4972

    So really harsh penalties DIDN’T deter crime? Well I guess it’s a good thing no one’s ever tried doing that again

    • @greymind9815
      @greymind9815 Pƙed 4 lety +175

      Ikr we such an good society! Its not like we put people in jail for stealing 159$ jacket in for life!
      czcams.com/video/g_fO4Bw4XU8/video.html
      Oh wait

    • @scoop765
      @scoop765 Pƙed 4 lety +233

      Yep how funny would it be if we tried that again hahaha

    • @neeneko
      @neeneko Pƙed 4 lety +462

      And who would have known for-profit prisons would create an incentive structure that did not include decreasing crime.

    • @AbsolXGuardian
      @AbsolXGuardian Pƙed 4 lety +156

      It's really hard for rulers to get it into their head that most criminals, especially thieves, commit these crimes because they have to, not because they want to.

    • @MDFification1
      @MDFification1 Pƙed 4 lety +140

      Criminals are, as a rule, not very good at calculating risk vs reward. Well, not white-collar criminals because they make *a lot* of money for much less risk, but in general it's true.
      My dad used to work as a public defender for petty criminals (it used to be the norm in Canada that all lawyers would put in a few years of defending people who couldn't afford lawyers before moving on to more lucrative careers). There was one guy who was a repeat customer - he'd break into houses, get caught, go to jail and just do the same thing upon release. At one point my dad sat down with the guy and walked him through the math - how much he made from breaking into houses, how much he lost to the fences taking their cut, how much time he took to pull off these jobs, etc. It turns out the guy was making far less than minimum wage.
      My dad (still young and naive) assumed that having taught the guy how little he was actually making would convince him to give up crime for a more lucrative, legal career. Instead, the guy tries to rob a corner store with a fake gun. He's probably still in jail, if he's still alive.

  • @Finn_the_Cat
    @Finn_the_Cat Pƙed 4 lety +546

    The biggest thing that they didn’t understand is that over-harsh punishments will not deter crime because if you have no other options then the benefits of the crime outweigh the punishment as long as you don’t get caught.

    • @fieldy409
      @fieldy409 Pƙed 2 lety +55

      I know right? If people are stealing because otherwise they'd starve to death or die of the elements due to homelessness, then the death penalty isn't worse than what they were already facing without crime.

    • @Finn_the_Cat
      @Finn_the_Cat Pƙed 2 lety +36

      @@fieldy409 exactly, that is why these types of policies almost never work, because for people in extreme desperate situations death is a preferred alternative to what they have

    • @fabianschobinger2765
      @fabianschobinger2765 Pƙed 4 měsĂ­ci +8

      I think another big reason for the many death sentences was the fact that prisons were (as said in the video) overcrowded and basically an university for crime. So even if they knew that harsher sentences don‘t work, they likely would‘ve still kept the same system.

    • @FreakyPhilch
      @FreakyPhilch Pƙed 3 měsĂ­ci +5

      It’s like having strict parents. Instead of teaching you not to steal, a snicker bar for example, they teach you to take it while they’re distracted and to put the wrapper in your sibling’s room.

  • @DragoniteSpam
    @DragoniteSpam Pƙed 4 lety +1482

    So in case anyone was ever wondering about real-life thieves guilds, I guess this would be a good one?

    • @parrek1384
      @parrek1384 Pƙed 4 lety +18

      How did you get here 16 hours early? Do Patreons get early access?

    • @DragoniteSpam
      @DragoniteSpam Pƙed 4 lety +80

      @@parrek1384 Time travel.
      (Also, yes.)

    • @marsar1775
      @marsar1775 Pƙed 4 lety +71

      @@parrek1384 he's in good with the thieves guild, you cant touch him

    • @kathrynsummers1735
      @kathrynsummers1735 Pƙed 4 lety +9

      I wonder if there's a vetanati type about to show up.

    • @jlw35cudvm
      @jlw35cudvm Pƙed 4 lety +1

      This sounds like US politics

  • @rickpgriffin
    @rickpgriffin Pƙed 4 lety +328

    So this is exactly where Pratchett got the idea that the Thieves' Guild was the de facto police force in Ankh-Morpork before the City Watch got their act together

    • @josephskiles
      @josephskiles Pƙed 4 lety +38

      I was thinking about Ank Morpork the whole time I was watching this, we really lost a treasure when Sir Terry died 😟

    • @fillosof66689
      @fillosof66689 Pƙed 4 lety +23

      Ankh-Morpork started as more or less typical fantasy metropolis, but as time went on, he started to have more and more of historical London and New York in it. Sir Pratchett has created something really unique there, as he always did.

    • @ericwills932
      @ericwills932 Pƙed 4 lety +15

      Also why Vimes reacted so explosively to being labelled a 'Thief Taker' in Jingo

    • @josephskiles
      @josephskiles Pƙed 4 lety +4

      @@ericwills932 nice catch, I forgot about that

  • @rayandabintangmarkiano6700
    @rayandabintangmarkiano6700 Pƙed 4 lety +69

    Imagine being in a brothel then hearing people scream "run! its the bloody *mathematicians* "

  • @eugenio5774
    @eugenio5774 Pƙed 4 lety +640

    this is totally a tv series that I would watch!! I've NEVER heard of this man, and honestly? sometimes reality is truly stranger than fiction.

    • @pandemonium2594
      @pandemonium2594 Pƙed 3 lety +7

      I know right

    • @jacobnoelle8428
      @jacobnoelle8428 Pƙed 3 lety +8

      John wild life was a wild life!

    • @TheForbiddenChode
      @TheForbiddenChode Pƙed 7 měsĂ­ci +3

      Wait till you see his downfall.

    • @game_boyd1644
      @game_boyd1644 Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci +4

      This would have served as an excellent Assassin's creed setting

    • @l.psimer6124
      @l.psimer6124 Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci +3

      It is stranger than fiction cause while fiction has no bounds to reality, it has to be thought of by humans, but real events are not thought up, they happen and are not bound to human creative limits.

  • @Windona
    @Windona Pƙed 4 lety +381

    "Left his wife and son..." Later "his new girlfriend"... Did his wife and son ever see all the papers on him and go 'wow I wish he would come back sometime"

    • @kayeka4123
      @kayeka4123 Pƙed 4 lety +120

      As much as his exploits are fun to listen to, this guy was an asshole of the highest degree, and his wife was probably glad to be rid of him.

    • @edwardnygma8533
      @edwardnygma8533 Pƙed 4 lety +7

      Following.

    • @Tragedous
      @Tragedous Pƙed 4 lety +10

      Good question

    • @mr.numbers5968
      @mr.numbers5968 Pƙed 4 lety +3

      Ouch

    • @angelwhispers2060
      @angelwhispers2060 Pƙed 2 lety +4

      Honestly probably not him taking up with a new girlfriend was cheaper and easier than a divorce and since he had left her with whatever property they were already living in. She was probably fine not good but possible especially in the area before divorce with even a possibility marital abandonment was pretty common.

  • @mr.cypher604
    @mr.cypher604 Pƙed 4 lety +259

    Hitchen: *I'm about to end this man's whole career*
    Wild: ***UNO REVERSE CARD***

  • @skyes4552
    @skyes4552 Pƙed 4 lety +79

    "He ran a prominent gang named the Mathematicians"
    Huh, never knew that my Math Teacher was a Gang Member

  • @OrdonWolf
    @OrdonWolf Pƙed 4 lety +359

    The sad irony of a place supposed to reform criminals actually turning into THE place to train them...
    This episode is great, what a story! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

    • @SystemLordNemo
      @SystemLordNemo Pƙed 4 lety +17

      Many think that this still is the case specially in the cases of first timers and young people.

    • @iliatchaplinski
      @iliatchaplinski Pƙed 4 lety +37

      I heard an ex-con talking about this once. He said it is still the case: prison is where criminals learn from other criminals how to improve their crime. After all, they have a lot of time on their hands in a place full of criminals. What else is there to talk about?

    • @jrggrop
      @jrggrop Pƙed 4 lety +22

      Prisons at the time weren't ever intended to reforms criminals, simply serve as holding pens. The theory of reformation of criminals in confinement was developed in the early 19th century United States, with the primary push coming from Pennsylvania Quakers and expressed in Eastern State Penitentiary (hence the name "penitentiary" it was a place for the criminal to undertake penance, reflect on their failures, and come out as a reformed member of society).

    • @timothycarney9652
      @timothycarney9652 Pƙed 4 lety +8

      @@jrggrop Quakers also invented solitary confinement- the idea being the prisoner would take the time to read the bible and become a better person- instead they suffered extreme psychological damage (humans aren't built to handle isolation, or confinement well, so being completely alone for an extended period in a tiny cell wrecks havock on one's psyche)- so much so that they stoped doing it because of how inhumane it turned out to be- today we have not only brought back this torturous practice, but expanded on it- Supermaxprisons are prisons made solely of solitary confinement cells, for profit institutions using a model of imprisonment known to cause insanity, on a mass scale.

    • @d4n4nable
      @d4n4nable Pƙed 4 lety +1

      Well, if you just execute them all, they can't learn to become better criminals.

  • @connormclernon26
    @connormclernon26 Pƙed 4 lety +1866

    So for profit prisons don’t work. Gee, I hope we never repeat tha.
    Oh.
    Oh.

    • @lucar6897
      @lucar6897 Pƙed 4 lety +52

      I’m sure it will work great if we try just one last time😁

    • @Lgs260495
      @Lgs260495 Pƙed 4 lety +7

      Nice pic of BB64

    • @connormclernon26
      @connormclernon26 Pƙed 4 lety +3

      LG COC The Lagging Offencoch thanks, took that at least a decade ago on an old flip phone

    • @countbinfaceglobalpresiden7926
      @countbinfaceglobalpresiden7926 Pƙed 4 lety +10

      TORIES WOULD LIKE TO
      HAVE A WORD WITH YOU

    • @fluoridegood4you622
      @fluoridegood4you622 Pƙed 4 lety +15

      It provides wonderful services to the low wages sector.
      You know, by pricing out the people who can't live off a prisoners salary.
      Because pricing out the lower class workers with slavery has always been successful in the past yea?

  • @storyspren
    @storyspren Pƙed 4 lety +447

    EC: (describes pickpockets taking advantage of crowds watching an execution)
    Me: (gets a Skyrim flashback)

    • @insaincaldo
      @insaincaldo Pƙed 4 lety +24

      Been pilfering the Solitude execution?

    • @storyspren
      @storyspren Pƙed 4 lety +13

      @@insaincaldo Absolutely

    • @insaincaldo
      @insaincaldo Pƙed 4 lety +3

      @@storyspren Seems quite obvious. Then again my last member of the guild had a really short run and pretty much only did it for the armor, thought It would be a cool starting armor on a Van Helsing like character.

    • @thomasbrady3827
      @thomasbrady3827 Pƙed 4 lety +2

      Storyspren sneak behind the rocks at the winking sleeved. Put poison on your bow. Take one shot and kill the headsman. Run in unrelenting force the guards and hack them to death with your sword. Take there loot kill all witnesses and join the stormcloaks.

    • @jakerosenberg3767
      @jakerosenberg3767 Pƙed 4 lety +2

      Pickpocket 100

  • @JohnVance
    @JohnVance Pƙed 4 lety +459

    This is hilarious and I can’t believe I never learned about this in school.

    • @baconpantsable
      @baconpantsable Pƙed 4 lety +27

      They don't teach you about it because they don't want you to know about the shitty prisons

    • @Matthew-jv7ej
      @Matthew-jv7ej Pƙed 4 lety +1

      this is actually a case study in my gcse history course.

    • @alexis_electronic
      @alexis_electronic Pƙed 4 lety +3

      I can believe it!~ Man, wouldn't it suck if you learned the society you lived in was inherently exploitative?

    • @fluoridegood4you622
      @fluoridegood4you622 Pƙed 4 lety +7

      @@baconpantsable shitty government*

    • @tams805
      @tams805 Pƙed 4 lety +11

      To be fair, there's an awful lot of history to learn in just the three years of a GCSE course. Teachers need to decide what they think is best to teach*.
      *unless the likes of Gove decide that learning the names of all the monarchs is the most important.

  • @ChadtronicFan
    @ChadtronicFan Pƙed 3 lety +77

    My favorite part of Extra History is how they switch the art style every series.

    • @va960
      @va960 Pƙed 3 lety +5

      One favorite art style of mine is that one from Genghis Khan.

    • @aminadoce
      @aminadoce Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci +4

      I guess they usually do it to make the other two/three artists recover. I guess that art for a whole series takes about a whole 2 months to do without crunching (and if nothing else happens). So I think that they work on this time, while the other is starting the next series, and the other one or two waits to be called up again.
      If true, it seems fantastic.

    • @davidedwards1635
      @davidedwards1635 Pƙed 4 měsĂ­ci

      7:03 ​@@va960

  • @TheTheRedWolf
    @TheTheRedWolf Pƙed 4 lety +51

    And I laughed so hard in the PC-game Thief: "Thief-Taker-General? Oh, c'mon, got no other title to give this guy? Did you had to make it so artificial, just to explain his hate against Garret (the thief)?"

    • @angelwhispers2060
      @angelwhispers2060 Pƙed 2 lety +9

      Yes titles for British positions used to have names that would be laughable today

  • @eldermoose7938
    @eldermoose7938 Pƙed 4 lety +59

    I just get the felling this is going to be Matt's "south seas bubble" series. which I consider to be the Best Extra Histroy short series

  • @Ergogre
    @Ergogre Pƙed 4 lety +60

    One of Patrician's greatest contributions to the reliable operation of Ankh-Morpork had been, very early in his administration, the legalizing of the ancient Guild of Thieves.
    Crime was always with us, he reasoned, and therefore,
    if you were going to have crime, it atleast should be organized crime.

  • @TheAriusDural
    @TheAriusDural Pƙed 4 lety +55

    This explains so much about Anglo-american culture... it also makes a great tabletop plot!

  • @sunsparkda
    @sunsparkda Pƙed 4 lety +170

    Very interesting learning some of the history that inspired the Discworld books.

    • @kokuinomusume
      @kokuinomusume Pƙed 4 lety +15

      Oh, you have to read Pratchett's "Dodger". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodger_(novel)
      I assume we'll meet Robert Peel later in this series, and he's a character in the novel, along with Charles Dickens and other famous Victorians.

    • @arturoreyescortez2476
      @arturoreyescortez2476 Pƙed 4 lety +8

      sunsparkda Assassins and thieves got lots of benefits during Vetinari's government. Paying to not get your properties stolen, and the thieves get government permission. That is scary.

    • @felixleidinger1670
      @felixleidinger1670 Pƙed 4 lety +3

      @@arturoreyescortez2476 But thievery is also regulated via the Guild- who rather efficently sells protection against non-guild-members and you are protected against being robbed more than once a month.
      If you are robbed, you get the adequate paperwork and the robbery is done in a more civil manner, and for Ankh-Morpork, thats certainly an improvement in crime statistics.
      Also, it realistically heightens the security for the citizens compared to how the City Watch acted before the revolution.
      The thieves have an interest in keeping crime professional and keeping the crime rate down in order to protect the trade and their profits.
      That was why they only needed 3 guys in the watch until the dragon incident, in its own way compared to before the city got along just fine.
      The assassins themselves have agreed upon a no-kill list if they decide a target isnt worth it- they gave up on killing our favourite protagonist Commander because he was to important for the cities ecosystem- and besides a certain gentleman in Hogfather, the patrician was once their most dangerous member anyway. Remember, thats how he got the position in the first place ;)
      Vetinari didnt make the guilds exist, they were, as there were no rules, more dangerous before he showed up.
      He made them operate in legal guidelines, chained their interests to the interest of the city and therefore made them controllable until he could let Sam build the New City Watch. Thats called pragmatism. Fighting fire with fire. If you cant fight the crime because its a bushfire, make it self-regulate and burn itself out until you have the ressources to stamp the rest out yourself. If you want to, that is.
      Pratchett wrote interesting satire about the legal system and the states role in fighting crime. Rigid militarised crime codes focusing on "law and order" often may not be able to cope with the amount of crime existent and only bring harm to the innocent. Community policing combined with the adequate ressources wont stop the mafia due to inevitable corruption- but it at least keeps general street crime at bay, therefore protecting more normal people, and keeps the gears of the community turning until you can controll it because it shifts the crime from an economic factor into the hands of a few individuals. Pratchett is basically describing the setup of a working community police force under those conditions that slowly replaces the corruption by creating a power outside of professional crime fighting crime by creating stability first, to make people want to live by rules and protect them.
      Note that this system is an semi-utopia run by an infallable dictator with assassin education and a demon-possessed super cop, though. Applicability to real live may vary.

    • @Rainbowthewindsage
      @Rainbowthewindsage Pƙed 4 lety +11

      @@arturoreyescortez2476 Lord Vetinari is a scary man in general: "I believe you find life such a problem because you think there are good people and bad people. You're wrong, of course. There are, always and only, the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides."

    • @majacovic5141
      @majacovic5141 Pƙed 4 lety +7

      @@Rainbowthewindsage early Vetinari is scary because he is depresed. That speech is a diagnosis. He lost faith in people so je doesn't give a damn if he's brutal. Fortunatelly he gets better later.

  • @alexie832
    @alexie832 Pƙed 4 lety +35

    Hitchen: "Wild is a thief!"
    Wild: "Hitchen is gay."
    Everyone: *la gasp*
    Me: *wheeze*

    • @Bloodlyshiva
      @Bloodlyshiva Pƙed 4 lety +2

      You Laugh now, but it was deadly serious. Emphasis on 'deadly'.
      'The Georgian era is a period in British history from 1714 to c. 1830-37.'
      'United Kingdom
      From 1533 the capital felony for any person to "commit the detestable and abominable vice of buggery with mankind or beast", was repealed and re-enacted several times, until it was reinstated in 1563 remaining unchanged until 1861.[25] The last execution took place on 27 November 1835 when James Pratt and John Smith were hanged at Newgate.'
      Homosexuality carried the death sentence.

    • @Kirbeden
      @Kirbeden Pƙed 3 lety

      Bloodlyshiva Oh

  • @smellfish1430
    @smellfish1430 Pƙed 4 lety +44

    Hitchen: tries to end wild’s whole career.
    Wild: i’m aboutta end this man’s whole career.

    • @lunaequinox7333
      @lunaequinox7333 Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci +1

      Hitchen: You’re done for Wilde
      Wilde: *pulls out uno reverse card*

  • @dataexpunged2827
    @dataexpunged2827 Pƙed 4 lety +10

    4:46 ‘the intricate language of London’s underworld’
    Oi mate, the lads and us is going for a spot of cheeky Nando’s. Sounds nice innit?

  • @mollye
    @mollye Pƙed 4 lety +168

    "prisons in georgian britain were run for profit"
    USA: *sweats nervously* haha, glad we had that revolution to get out from tyranny heh

    • @JoshSweetvale
      @JoshSweetvale Pƙed 4 lety +8

      To keep slaves.

    • @IkeOkerekeNews
      @IkeOkerekeNews Pƙed 4 lety +8

      @@JoshSweetvale
      Not really.

    • @operleutnant7235
      @operleutnant7235 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      Joshua Sweetvale they ran the prisons for profit because of slaves or started the revolutionary war because of slaves

  • @paulpeterson4216
    @paulpeterson4216 Pƙed 4 lety +10

    Gotta say that the English of the 18th century were wise beyond their years, believing that "Professional police were an inherently repressive and militarized organization." The problem is that in America, too many see "inherently repressive and militarized" as a good thing.

    • @SaltpeterTaffy
      @SaltpeterTaffy Pƙed 4 lety +2

      Would...would you have preferred petty crime to be handled by mafiosi like what was shown in this video? These are the kinds of scandals that cause governments to implement the police in the first place.

    • @justinbeath5169
      @justinbeath5169 Pƙed 4 lety

      Oh yeah, militarized police are so bad. Im sure that a guy with a stab proof vest and a glock would be just as effective at dealing with hostage situations as a swat team

    • @Tom-2142
      @Tom-2142 Pƙed 4 lety

      SaltpeterTaffy they weren’t militarised though.

    • @SaltpeterTaffy
      @SaltpeterTaffy Pƙed 4 lety

      ​@@Tom-2142 Non-militarized criminals are still criminals.

    • @joshuasitzema9920
      @joshuasitzema9920 Pƙed měsĂ­cem

      ​@Tom-2142 well criminals are now with Cartels and Gangs having access to some very impressive hardware. Part of why I support cops AND having the 2A

  • @Gala-yp8nx
    @Gala-yp8nx Pƙed 4 lety +24

    This sounds like the premise for a TV series, not gonna lie.

  • @beretperson
    @beretperson Pƙed 4 lety +28

    Last time I was this early, it hadn't been Walpole.

  • @davidschaftenaar6530
    @davidschaftenaar6530 Pƙed 4 lety +17

    Man, Wild was W I L D. I can't believe we had a real-life House of Cards + GoT Bronn at some point and nobody ever told me.

  • @hanzup4117
    @hanzup4117 Pƙed 4 lety +65

    One minute in and I can tell this is going to be another good one :D

  • @aubreywean680
    @aubreywean680 Pƙed 4 lety +137

    "Oh so ill just make people steal things, then get the stolen things back?"
    "This is a good idea"
    Edit: also wild was in deubt, but has these awesome clothes

    • @angelwhispers2060
      @angelwhispers2060 Pƙed 2 lety

      That's more for the consistency of the animation than realistic depiction

  • @thevoidlookspretty7079
    @thevoidlookspretty7079 Pƙed 4 lety +38

    But my question: did this ever work into the South Sea Company?

    • @tat3179
      @tat3179 Pƙed 4 lety +6

      Doubt it. The what Wilde maange is blue collar crime. Unsophisticated, violent and for the dregs of society. The whole South Sea Bubble is classic white collar shenanigans. Same like today. People went to jail for potential decades for break ins and theft while only one unlucky wall street schmuck gets prosecuted for literally giving the trillions of dollars global economy a heart attack because greed and big bonuses.

    • @lemmingrad
      @lemmingrad Pƙed 4 lety +3

      The Void Looks Pretty I’m sure it was Walpole.

    • @stevenuniverse1422
      @stevenuniverse1422 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      Every series is connected.

    • @kamanashiskar9203
      @kamanashiskar9203 Pƙed 3 lety +1

      Well, Wildes's reign happened during the same time as the South Sea Bubble.

  • @ViggleTheVirgil
    @ViggleTheVirgil Pƙed 4 lety +17

    I swear, you guys come up with the most amazing and interesting things in history to talk about. Never ceases to amaze me.

  • @rabidkiwi361
    @rabidkiwi361 Pƙed 4 lety +7

    @5:56 you are telling me that at one point in time, there was a rude group of scoundrels that called " the mathematicians"

    • @AStoryteller-for-fun
      @AStoryteller-for-fun Pƙed 5 měsĂ­ci +3

      I mean... math is kind of the embodiment of Evil

    • @BIGTHANKSHEESH
      @BIGTHANKSHEESH Pƙed 3 měsĂ­ci +1

      đŸ˜šđŸ”«đŸ˜ˆ
      "What's the pythagorian thereom?"

  • @tjoconnell2524
    @tjoconnell2524 Pƙed 4 lety +26

    This is some oceans eleven type stuff being pulled off.

  • @tennesseefairfield8497
    @tennesseefairfield8497 Pƙed 4 lety +20

    I am loving all these Extra History series y'all are making. I'm super excited for this one!

  • @deltasquad8817
    @deltasquad8817 Pƙed 3 lety +15

    Wilde: is a mob boss
    Society:🗿🗿🗿🗿
    Hitchen: is gay
    Society:😡😡😡

  • @abdullahelgammal6196
    @abdullahelgammal6196 Pƙed 3 lety +8

    0:18 *_THAT'S CSLLED FORESHAFIWING_*

    • @dinoricky5188
      @dinoricky5188 Pƙed 2 lety

      Yee the mug said “best crime boss” lol

  • @tenlosol
    @tenlosol Pƙed 4 lety +20

    Someone's going to find a lot of inspiration for persona 5 OCs/fanfics in this series.

  • @zane4218
    @zane4218 Pƙed 4 lety +5

    One of my favorite Extra History episodes in a while! Great job to all involved! (:

  • @AverytheCubanAmerican
    @AverytheCubanAmerican Pƙed 4 lety +48

    London has some fascinating history, can't wait to see the rest of the series

  • @michaelbetz4118
    @michaelbetz4118 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Thanks to Extra Credits for digging up such rarely known but most interesting stories.
    I love it and i want to see more of it.

  • @wezza668
    @wezza668 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    this has to be one of the most interesting people you have ever talked about. Really looking forward to the other episodes

  • @dag1407
    @dag1407 Pƙed 4 lety +23

    I love the wacky Extra Histories on stuff I've barely heard of like this and the South Sea Co.

    • @bkjeong4302
      @bkjeong4302 Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci

      Which was actually happening at the same time as this, funnily enough.

  • @kevinboros7427
    @kevinboros7427 Pƙed 4 lety +4

    This first episode perfectly represents a life that goes according to plan. This guy, in this first episode, basically did everything perfectly and lived the good life. Honestly, he wasn't bad, he was just taking advantage of the situation, and inteligently too.

  • @torheadwiggen8181
    @torheadwiggen8181 Pƙed rokem +1

    This has got to be my favorite extra history series, I have seen it so many times

  • @AhJong0
    @AhJong0 Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Incredible some of the major figures I’ve simply never heard of. Rapidly falling in love with this channel .

  • @jp4431
    @jp4431 Pƙed 4 lety +4

    4:10 imagine your prison system is so regressive that it's run in the same way as London in the 1700s
    USA #1!

    • @bearcatben4762
      @bearcatben4762 Pƙed 3 lety +2

      Ineffective community policing and hangings for people stealing silverware, debtors prisons? Doesn't sound like America to me, we don't even execute rapists anymore we just give then 3-month sentences and let them go.

  • @camramaster
    @camramaster Pƙed 4 lety +6

    "Wild."
    ".... Shepherd."

  • @josephskiles
    @josephskiles Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Great episode, you guys always put out interesting content for us, thanks for all your hard work!

  • @TangySauce
    @TangySauce Pƙed rokem +2

    im going to me honest, this is by far one of my favorite serise from you, ive watched it so much its defietly my favorite, good work yall!

  • @user-xp6bl1my3j
    @user-xp6bl1my3j Pƙed 4 lety +11

    HE HAS CONTROL OF THE CRIMINALS AND THE COURTS! HE'S TOO DANGEROUS TO BE KEPT ALIVE

  • @orpheonkatakrosmortarchoft4332

    Just as I have to organize a presentation on London's crime world in the early modern period. Could you share your sources ?

    • @NotHPotter
      @NotHPotter Pƙed 4 lety +4

      Try hitting them up on Twitter. They get fewer messages there, so you're more likely to see a response.

    • @orpheonkatakrosmortarchoft4332
      @orpheonkatakrosmortarchoft4332 Pƙed 4 lety +1

      @@NotHPotter Guess I will need to make a twitter account :(

    • @Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat
      @Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat Pƙed 4 lety +9

      They really should have been sharing their sources for a long time now. They sort of do with the lies episode but they need to fully list every source, it's just good practice.

  • @mythirdchannel
    @mythirdchannel Pƙed 3 lety

    I'm always on board for anything on extra credit, this, in particular, strikes me as exciting!

  • @GipGap
    @GipGap Pƙed 4 lety +1

    I can already tell this is gonna be a good one

  • @TransGirlMagic
    @TransGirlMagic Pƙed 3 lety +10

    That lesson about professional police needs to be learned again.

  • @a.dennis4835
    @a.dennis4835 Pƙed 3 lety +4

    I remember reading about "The Beggar's Opera" (the source material of the "Threepenny Opera"). The opera actually talks about and satirizes this (since it was written three years after Jonathan Wild's death).

  • @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle
    @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle Pƙed rokem +1

    Amazing video, the quality of the animation only gets better everytime! đŸ’—đŸ€žâœš

  • @aetvrna
    @aetvrna Pƙed 4 lety +2

    Good job extra history! I subbed:)

  • @TheFiresloth
    @TheFiresloth Pƙed 4 lety +4

    In A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), it is explained that this is how Varys and Illyrio started their career : Varys stole, and Illyrio "retrieved". This way, they buildt a criminal kingdom in Pentos.

  • @itwaswalpole
    @itwaswalpole Pƙed 4 lety +8

    5:07 Swipper no swiping

  • @davidhodgden7449
    @davidhodgden7449 Pƙed 4 lety

    The lead up to the ending hook was masterfully crafted. Well done writer.

  • @verdatum
    @verdatum Pƙed 4 lety

    omg, this is fascinating. This is an instant classic extra-history topic.

  • @beruman
    @beruman Pƙed 4 lety +36

    "inherently repressive and militarized organization." totally different from now! right?

    • @Jackpkmn
      @Jackpkmn Pƙed 4 lety +5

      Yes. The police force is not 'inherently' repressive and militarized. It's just that having a repressive and militarized police force is the best thing for the nobles.

  • @stretchchris1
    @stretchchris1 Pƙed 4 lety +22

    This whole thing just sounds like modern day america.

  • @hussaiynmuhammed2800
    @hussaiynmuhammed2800 Pƙed 3 měsĂ­ci

    im so glad i found you oversimplified left a hole in my heart u filled

  • @Frontline_view_kaiser
    @Frontline_view_kaiser Pƙed 4 lety

    One of the best episodes in a long time

  • @Ada-kr4io
    @Ada-kr4io Pƙed 4 lety +6

    I actually really need this for my crime and punishment history paper

  • @johntoday1219
    @johntoday1219 Pƙed 3 lety +6

    Wait... so are you saying that if you don't have a police force, you get more crime? This was released only six months ago, and it's already revolutionary.

  • @CrusaderMad
    @CrusaderMad Pƙed 4 lety +1

    You guys are always a couple months behind my essay schedule 😂 I've just finished my policing course at uni

  • @mekomay1603
    @mekomay1603 Pƙed 4 lety

    We love this series!

  • @lukasmickevicius2173
    @lukasmickevicius2173 Pƙed 4 lety +6

    Sounds like a much better plot for Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

  • @AM-kf2zt
    @AM-kf2zt Pƙed 4 lety +4

    9:32 Homophobic prejudices aside, Hitchens' expression there is strangely hilarious.

  • @ChapterGrim
    @ChapterGrim Pƙed 7 měsĂ­ci

    Brilliant video!

  • @mycroft9528
    @mycroft9528 Pƙed 4 lety

    Finally story I've been looking for.

  • @abcdef27669
    @abcdef27669 Pƙed 4 lety +5

    That was an intense episode! Holy cow!
    Even Walpole could get a lesson or two with John Wilde!

    • @BlueflameKing1
      @BlueflameKing1 Pƙed 4 lety +2

      I think this took place during that event. Also what is with England having people named John who are amazing thieves/con men/politicians.

    • @kevinschultz6091
      @kevinschultz6091 Pƙed 4 lety +2

      @@BlueflameKing1 - As a guess? John is historically a common name.

    • @bkjeong4302
      @bkjeong4302 Pƙed 6 měsĂ­ci +1

      This was happening at the same time as that and in the same city


  • @anttibjorklund1869
    @anttibjorklund1869 Pƙed 4 lety +4

    Captivating.

  • @travisblack8767
    @travisblack8767 Pƙed 4 lety

    Can’t wait for part 2 omgggg

  • @drewhuscher496
    @drewhuscher496 Pƙed 4 lety

    I had never heard of this guy, this is amazing.

  • @YO-uj2jv
    @YO-uj2jv Pƙed 4 lety +4

    Hey guys. I am a big fan of yours. Especially the history episodes like Ned Kelly, Jonathan Wild and many more.
    I was wondering if you could cover the history of some of my favourite artists. I know you may not do this usually, but I like the way you interpret history with humour. So: here's a list of my favourite artists:
    King Crimson
    Pink Floyd
    Genesis (including Peter Gabriel era)
    KISS
    Led Zeppelin
    YES
    Simon And Garfunkel
    And of course: Queen
    Much appreciated. :)

  • @Achillez098
    @Achillez098 Pƙed 4 lety +9

    They need to make an HBO series on this

  • @lesen8367
    @lesen8367 Pƙed 2 lety

    Policing london and the bubble are by far my favorite... series of five episodes? Of extra history (mostly because i havent watched this channel in a WHILE

  • @Sandouras
    @Sandouras Pƙed 4 lety +1

    Why isnt there a movie about this?
    Extra Credits i love you for all these little stories you find and tell us.

  • @jacobclemons5494
    @jacobclemons5494 Pƙed 4 lety +5

    If you would like a fantastic look into this topic, The Baroque cycle by Neal Stephenson touches upon it with great detail. Its also the book series that got me into my history degree and is my favorite series ever. Even covers more topics Extra History has done as well, from the siege of Vienna to paper money and so on.

  • @VaradMahashabde
    @VaradMahashabde Pƙed 4 lety +7

    When you have fun listening about London and Britain great messups and realise one is happening right now

  • @snugglepuff
    @snugglepuff Pƙed 4 lety

    This was a Wild ride from start to finish

  • @SweetLilWren
    @SweetLilWren Pƙed 4 lety

    Awesome stuff!
    As per your usual fare!

  • @bigj1905
    @bigj1905 Pƙed 3 lety +3

    “Sir, it appears our head of security it’s corrupt and taking bribes.”
    “Eh, don’t worry about.”
    “He is also gay, sir.”
    “GET THIS GUY OFF OF OUR STREETS!!!”

  • @TESkyrimizer
    @TESkyrimizer Pƙed 4 lety +7

    7:34 actually sounds like a very reasonable distribution of wealth. Thieves would only bother stealing from the rich, and only the rich would bother to pay the fee for expensive trinkets. Thus it becomes a sort of nonconsensual charity program.
    Wow this video is enlightening.

  • @WolvieXXXZandalari
    @WolvieXXXZandalari Pƙed 4 lety

    whoever did the art for this episode did an amazing job! xD Loved it. Cute Cartoony

  • @majormetcalf1225
    @majormetcalf1225 Pƙed 4 lety

    This is by far the most interesting ep in a long time. I love corrupt Europe.

  • @verdragon5591
    @verdragon5591 Pƙed 3 lety +5

    9:23 Ah, I see, one of the very few times in history where the phrase 'Consider the benefits of homophobia' has done any good

    • @danaa-
      @danaa- Pƙed 5 měsĂ­ci +3

      _"If you shoot enough bullets, at least some of them are bound to hit!"_
      _"...even if you killed thousands of innocents..."_

    • @BIGTHANKSHEESH
      @BIGTHANKSHEESH Pƙed 3 měsĂ­ci

      And even when the person doing good is worse than the person he is going against

  • @euansmith3699
    @euansmith3699 Pƙed 4 lety +10

    This is an absolutely fascinating and utterly horrible period of History... although, I guess that applies to pretty much all of History.

  • @anonytonomous
    @anonytonomous Pƙed 4 lety +1

    !! That Actraiser ditty is a great touch.

  • @va960
    @va960 Pƙed 3 lety +1

    Jonathan Wild, the most badass double agent history ever known.