Expansion of Social Expansion of Social ClassesClasses

AP European

Agricultural and First Industrial Revolutions

What classes existed?

from 16th – late 19th, early 20th century– landed aristocracy– peasantry/agricultural workers– misc. middle classes– urban poor

Government

contribute to rise of capitalism & business class through trading companies

governmental jobs often secured (upper) middle-class or aristocractic position

titles of nobility could be granted tax exemption of higher classes royal court at top of social pyramid

Aristocracy

1-5 % = former feudal/noble class held offices in king’s army, government or

prestigious offices of the church became more interested in education of children,

civilian pursuits from impoverished nobles to grands seigneurs

– bloodline became increasingly important as financial status fell

began buying shares in overseas trading companies and also taking products to market

Bourgeoisie – Upper Middle Class

bourgeois – French; burgher – English; Bürger – German– person living in a chartered town and enjoying

its liberties began buying land in the country and

living off the rent some economic crossover with aristocracy,

but social consciousness remained distinct

Middle Classes

urban elites – sometimes intermarried w/ nobility merchants, bankers, ship-owners, lawyers,

doctors, judges, tax officials, other government employees

most clergy came from middle classes Artisans: members of trade guilds

– diverse professions: goldsmiths, tanners, barrel makers, retail shopkeepers, innkeepers, workshop owners

Agricultural Prices Rise

Landowners & peasants with land holdings profit– class of yeoman (small freeholders) develops

rural workers w/o land suffer– Food prices rise but wages remain static

Landowners affected– After enclosure must accept cash payments vs.

crop payments – Cash can’t buy as much as it used to.

Working Class Poor

majority of population, included:– unskilled wage laborers: worked the land, the

sea, or in the domestic realm– unemployed, unemployable

prices rose, wages didn’t– English Poor Laws

• charitable relief, workhouses, hospices

poor worse off, due to growth of social differentiation

Eastern vs. Western Europe

Western Europe – middle class benefits from commercial revolution & falling value of money

Eastern Europe (Germany, Bohemia, Poland, Russia, Hungary) – Aristocrats benefit as they own majority of land and workers, “hereditary subjection” (serfdom) still strong– Robot / barschchina = weekly forced unpaid labor– could not leave manor, marry or learn a trade with

permission of lord

Industry & Population: 18c Europe

18cPopulation

GrowthRate

Population Takeoff in Europe

European Urbanization

“Gin Lane”

William Hogarth

1751

“Beer Street”

William Hogarth

1751