English Social Structure In The Early 18th Century

In the English colonies there were six social classes. From the richest to the poorest, these were the gentry, the middle Class, poor whites, indentured servants, free africans and slaves. The people that made up these classes ranged from the most powerful to those with the least amount of rights, if any.

As a result of these social classes, different ranks had designated attire that was regulated by Parliament (“Elizabethan Era”). Sumptuary laws regulated how extravagantly people of the various classes could dress (“Daily Life”). The wealthier classes indulged in meat while the lower classes ate eggs, bread, and dairy (“Daily Life”). None of the classes drank water due to impurity (“Daily Life”). Instead, they drank wine, flat beer, or weak ale (“Daily Life”). In the lower class, families were seen as working units (“Daily Life”). The son usually took after the father’s career (“Daily Life”). Wealthier families had enough money to pay servants to do work for them (“Daily Life”). These servants lived with the family (“Daily Life”).

The following class, which was by far the largest, was the middle class. (Population and Social Rank) This included owners of small stores and businesses, small farmers, and craftsmen. (1727: Colonial America) They were mostly educated, and lived successful lives. They also had very high moral standards and some were deeply religious. (Population and Social Rank) Most middle class men could vote, but few held public office, as the gentry used their wealth and influence for political control. Middle class women ran self-sufficient households, and made their own clothes, candles, cheese and soap. Few were educated. (1727: Colonial America)

I asked if the website had included any authors and if there was a possibility that you could contact them. I also asked if there were any credible sources that were cited on the website. The date when it was last updated and what the website looked like when it was first created are other questions I have. Lastly, I questioned the writing style and grammar of the site.

In France, the social classes consisted of three estates: First, Second, and Third. The First Estate consisted of the clergy (religious officials), who were considered the highest on the social ladder. They only consisted of .5% of the population yet were the most powerful (Doc. 2). The Second Estate were 1.5% of the population and consisted of nobles who held the top jobs of government, army, and courts (Doc. 2). Finally, The Third Estate were 98% of the population and consisted of the bourgeoisie, or the middle class, and peasants (Doc. 2). When the Estates

At first, Austen reveals the tensions between the working class and the upper class and emphasizes the rigid social structure that existed in nineteenth century London. The rigidity of the social structure can be attributed to the fact that “no class exists for itself but is bound by reciprocated rights and duties to classes above and below” (Kilger 359). Although the classes are separate and very distinct from each other, they still all depend on one another to thrive and succeed. However, this was definitely not the case during the

It would be an understatement to say that the peasant lived in a harsh world. They live in a time where every day was a fight for survival. Peasantry was trying to survive harvest after harvest, always trying to pay off the rising taxes and feeding their families. The fact of the matter though was that peasants had a hard time feeding themselves which is why “45% of the Frenchmen born in the 18th century died before the age of 10.” (Darton 27)

“Houses were constructed of stone or of branches covered with mud and straw. Candles were used to light the inside of the house” (Peasants). Peasants were not able to go out of buy siding or any thing to make their houses with so they had to make them from scratch. They were very poor so the house had to be made out of things you find in nature. “The bed might be big and sturdy enough for six, but the very poor had only stuffed pallets on the floor” (Bishop 242). The house was not big at all, so there was only one spot for the bed and everyone had to share it. Everyone not having their own bed was the least unnatural thing the peasants had to deal with. “The houses would have had none of the things we accept as normal today- no running water, no toilets, no baths, and washing basins” (Trueman). Peasants had what we would call nothing but as long as they has a roof over their head they were alright in their minds. The main reason they had nothing in them was because they did not have the money to afford anything. “Without coinage, peasants traded food with village craftsmen for clothing, shoes, cooking pots, furniture, and a variety of other goods” (Barter 23). As stated before peasants did not have money to go out and buy new things so they would trade food for other items they needed. Not only did they have boring houses but their lives

Hundreds of years ago, England prospered under the long rule of Queen Elizabeth I. This period of time, known as the Elizabethan Era, consisted of distinct differences between social classes. Diverse education, clothing, and entertainment were all important aspects of life in the Elizabethan Era. To start off, differences in education not only included upper and lower classes, but also schooling for boys and girls.

How do the personal lives/experiences of historians/authors affect their vision of the medieval world? Please remember to use specific examples from our readings.

Victorian-era Londoners were very rich or very poor - there was no “in-between”. These class distinctions are shown in many ways throughout the book, this includes: ‘ Hell’ ( east side ) vs. ‘Heaven’ ( West Side ), Jekyll Vs. Hyde, and Jekyll’s home.

The aristocrats lived in large houses with roofs, gardens, and courtyards. They were very rich. To keep out bandits, they put walls around their houses. Inside the houses they had fine furniture and silk. The father would divide their land to his sons when they were older. As he divided it, the land became smaller and smaller.

Life as a serf or peasant was not easy. Serfs were bound to their lord's land and required to do services for him. Although they could not be sold like slaves, they had no freedom (Ellis and Esler 219-244). Peasants farmed for the goods that the lord and his manor needed. They went through difficult hardship because of this. Peasants were heavily taxed and had to provide for themselves the goods that they needed (“The Middle Ages”). According to the medieval law, the peasants were not considered to 'belong to' themselves (“The Middle Ages”). Although serfs were peasants and had relatively the same duties and similar rights, what differentiated a peasant from a serf was that a peasant was not bound to the land (“The Middle Ages”). Peasants had no schooling and no knowledge of the outside world (Ellis and Esler 219-244). They rarely traveled more than a couple miles outside of their villages. All members of a peasant family, including children, tended crops, farmed, and did some sort of work to help out (Ellis and Esler 224). Very few peasants lived past the age of 35 because of hunger in the winter and the easy development and transmission of disease (Ellis and Esler 224).

This compact little book is Volume III of a series entitled A History of England, edited by Lacey Baldwin Smith, and its inclusion in this series reveals much about its scope and intent. Smith writes in the Preface to the series that "their authors have tried by artistry to step beyond the usual confines of a textbook and conjure up something of the drama of politics, of the wealth of personalities, and even of the pettiness, as well as the greatness, of human motivation." Some of this can be found in The Age of Aristocracy; some of it cannot. William B. Willcox's device for covering the significant people and events of one hundred forty-two years in only two hundred thirty-seven pages is to

A significant aspect of daily life and household management for 18th Century are rooted in a social hierarchy. Within a residence, there are members of the family and hired service staff, which could range in magnitude contingent upon financial means and a physical necessity for proper operation and management. Though men serve significant roles, women and girls execute significant and extensive duties during the day-to-day domestic chores. In homes of humble means, women were to fulfill the expected daily tasks, typically delegated amongst several employed workers in a larger service structure. The status of the family and the position of the job