the society and economy under the old regime. introduction old regime the life and institutions of...
TRANSCRIPT
The Society and Economy Under the Old Regime
Introduction
• Old Regime The life and institutions of prerevolutionary Europe Politically
Rule of absolutism Economically
Scarcity of food Agrarian society Undeveloped financial systems
Socially Distinct social classes w/ certain privileges Little individualism
Introduction
• Old Regime fosters change in 18th CChanges in farming Early industrial Rev. arrivesColonization of New WorldExpansion of businessPreparation for wars
Major Features of Life
• Social Characteristics of Old RegimeAristocratic elites control privilegesEstablished churches support stateUrban workers organized into guildsPeasants pay high taxes
Major Features of Life
• Maintenance of TraditionSocial
Tradition was importantNobles held onto ancient privilegePeasants wanted restoration of manorial rights
EconomicExcept for GB, every nation’s economy was agrarian.All gov’ts concerned about harvest
Major Features of Life
• HierarchyMedieval rank became rigid during the centuryLaws regulated the dress of different classes-made
social hierarchy easily visible Lack of “individual rights”, emphasis on
“community” rights (nobility, church, guilds)
Aristocracy
• 1-5% of the population• Wealthiest sector• Separate legal bodies• Land was source of power
Varieties of Aristocratic Privilege
• Aristocracy was a matter of birth and privilege• British Nobility
Smallest, wealthiest, and most socially responsible aristocracy in Eur.
400 families, eldest males sat in House of Lords, through corruption of electoral system
Owned ¼ of all arable landInvested in industry and commerceimmense political and social influence
Varieties of Aristocratic Privilege
• FranceNobles of the Robe – Civil servantsNobles of the sword – Military
French nobles exempt from:Taille: land taxCorvee: labor taxVingtieme: rarely paid in full
Aristocratic Resurgence
• Nobles responded to centralizing efforts of monarchy by:1. Preserving exclusiveness of titles2. Reserve appointments to officer corps and gov’t
bureaucracy 3. English Parliament, French parlement, German
diets, Austrian estates, all challenge monarchy4. Remain free from taxes; collect feudal dues
The Land & It’s Tillers
• 75% of population worked the land• Peasants/Serfs
Serfdom more common in E. Eur than W.Eur.In GB, justices of peace oversee courtsPeasants have rights and EnglishmenIn E. Eur, landowners oversee courtsTaxes were the burden of peasants/serfs on
continent
The Land & its Tillers
• Obligations of PeasantsFR – Feudal dues & corvees.Prus/Aust – Landowners have complete control
The RobotRussia – “Soul” tax, forced labor. No legal
recourseSimilar to slavery
The Land & its Tillers
• RebellionsRussian czars degraded condition of serfsPugachev – Leader of largest rebellion in 18th CCatherine the Great had considered loosening
restrictions on serfs before rebellion.Very few rebellions in W. Eur.
Land & it’s Tillers
• Aristocratic Domination of Countryside – England1671-1831: English landowners had the exclusive
legal right to hunt Poor excluded because elites believed hunting would
undermine workMerchants excluded b/c Parl. wanted to demonstrate
landed wealth over commercial wealthGamekeepers and gentry benefited from lawsPoaching and the black market: high demand for
luxury meat leads to poaching for profit
The Agricultural Revolution
• Goal of peasants = maintain food supply• Food prices rose steadily in 18th C due to
population growth• Agricultural revolution was due to farming
innovation
Agricultural Revolution
• New Crops/New MethodsThe Dutch were leaders in farming.Cornelius Vermuyden – land reclamation
• British Innovators Jethro Tull – seed drills and iron plowRobert Bakewell – animal breeding“Turnip” Townsend – crop rotation to restore
nutrientsArthur Young – documented advances
Agricultural Revolution• Enclosure Movement Replaces Open-Field s
What were open fields?Village communities which farmed land using the 2 or 3
field systemWhat was enclosure?
Fencing of land to scientifically study land and increase production
Who was responsible for enclosure?Large landowners pushed laws through parliament
What was the impact of enclosure?Commercialization of agriculture
Agricultural Revolution
• Limited Improvements in the EastWhy did E. Eur not improve farming?
No motivation. Landlords had tight control over serfs.
Agricultural Revolution
• Population Expansion - 18th CenturyWhat were the reasons for population growth?
Decline of death rate, fewer wars, fewer epidemics, better hygiene,
***Changes in food supply - PotatoWhat was the impact of the population growth?
New demand for goods, food, jobs, servicesIncrease in migration Traditions of the Old Regime were tested
The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange”
The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange” Squash Avocado Peppers Sweet Potatoes
Turkey Pumpkin Tobacco Quinine
Cocoa Pineapple
Cassava POTATO
Peanut TOMATO Vanilla MAIZE
Syphilis
Olive COFFEE BEAN Banana Rice
Onion Turnip Honeybee Barley
Grape Peach SUGAR CANE Oats
Citrus Fruits Pear Wheat HORSE
Cattle Sheep Pigs Smallpox
Flu Typhus Measles Malaria
Diptheria Whooping Cough
Trinkets
Liquor
GUNS
The Columbian Exchange
• From the New World to Europe
• Diseases: syphilis
• Plants: potatoes, corn, tomatoes,pineapple, tobacco, beans, vanilla,chocolate
• Animals: turkeys
• Gold and silver
• From Europe to the New World
• Diseases: small pox, measles, bubonic, plague, influenza, typhus
• Plants: wheat, sugar, rice coffee
• Animals: horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens
The Industrial Revolution
• Began in the 2nd half of the 18th C• Period of sustained growth• Raised standard of living• Was it an evolution or a revolution?
The Industrial Revolution• Revolution in Consumption
What factors increased demand for consumer goods?Prosperity, marketing/advertising, changes in styles to
bring new fashions and inventions, rise of fashion publications made all aware of new styles.
• Industrial Leadership in GBWhat factors made GB the home of the I.R.?
Free trade, good roads w/o tolls, abundance of coal and iron, sound banking, efficient and fair taxation, mobility of society
The Industrial Revolution
• New Methods of Textile ProductionWhat are textiles?
Cloth, which became the first mass-produced items.How were they produced before the I.R.?
The domestic system, a.k.a “the putting out system”How were they produced after the I.R.?
In factories
Inventions
• John Kay – Flying shuttle – increased production of weavers. (1730s)
• James Hargreaves – Spinning Jenny – allowed more spindles of thread to be spun (1760s)
• Richard Arkwright (1760s) – water-powered device to produce cotton fabric
The Industrial Revolution• The Steam Engine***
Who invented it?Thomas Newcomen engine (early 1700s) – very
inefficientJames Watt (1760s) – Made steam engine more usable
Why is it important in the I.R.?It became the prime mover for all industry – shipping,
trains, manufacturing