Outlines for “A History of the Modern World” 9th
Edition
Chapter
Three Section Thirteen: Changing Social
Structures
1.
Introduction
a.
Major
social groups emerging out of the commercial revolution
i.
Landed
aristocracy
ii.
Peasantry
iii.
Middle
classes
iv.
Urban
poor
b.
The
beneficiaries of slow inflation were the peasants that held land
c.
Those
that fared the worst were those dependant on wages
d.
Yeoman
(freeholders) developed between the landed gentry and the rural poor
e.
Large
class of unpropertied rural workers remained in poverty
f.
Upper
landed class members were in mixed situations
i.
Fixed
rents versus payments in kind
2.
Social
Classes
a.
Aristocracy
i.
Broad
spectrum of financial situations
ii.
Some
looked for appointments in government or the military to increase income
iii.
Recent
nobility competed with older noble families
1.
Older
noble ancestry become a badge of status for favored consideration
b.
Bourgeoisie
i.
Early
meaning was group between landed aristocracy and laboring poor
ii.
Later
Marx uses bourgeoisie to mean owners of capital
iii.
Social
lines began to blur
1.
Bourgeoisie
buying lands in the country
2.
Aristocracy
buying stock in merchant countries
3.
Consciousness
of social differences remains
iv.
Structure
of the middle class
1.
Urban
elites than ruled the cities
2.
Growing
middle class of intellectual talent
a.
Capable
middle class sons might work side by side with younger sons of nobility in
government posts
3.
Clergy
was drawn from all classes but most came from the middle class
4.
Guild
masters were scattered from top to bottom in the middle class
5.
Low
middle class included shopkeepers, innkeepers, journeymen
v.
The
working class
1.
Largely
illiterate
2.
Given
to irregular habits
3.
1600s
saw rise of relief efforts for the poor
a.
workhouses
b.
hospices
4.
Most
of the poor worked at menial occupations
a.
Fieldwork,
livestock, mining, fishing, oddjobbers, domestic service
5.
Inflation
outpaced wages and the working poor were the hardest hit as the commercial
revolution unfolded
3.
Social
Roles of Education and Government
a.
Reformation
increased demand for educated clergy
b.
Growth
of commerce made it necessary to literate workers
c.
Growth
of government administrations increased need for literate workers
d.
Increasing
demand for lawyers
e.
Early
demand for increased literacy was financed by endowments
i.
New
school model was advanced “college”
ii.
Schools
for girls increased to prepare them for participation in more sophisticated
court life
iii.
Bright
minded students were gathered from all segments of the social classes
f.
Governments
could influence economic development
i.
Granting
monopolies
ii.
Borrowing
iii.
Issuing
charters to trading companies
iv.
Appointments
to government jobs
v.
Dispensing
privileges
1.
Royal
court noble, country noble
4.
Eastern
versus Western Europe
a.
West
i.
Commercial
revolution was advantageous to the middle class
b.
East
i.
Commercial
revolution was advantageous to the upper class
ii.
Lot
in life of peasants declines
iii.
Junkers
prosper and control increases as central governments were less defined
iv.
Robot
increased
v.
Landlords
of the east become deeply entrenched in power with great autonomy