society and economy under the old regime social history in the 18 th century
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Society and Economy Society and Economy Under the Old RegimeUnder the Old Regime
Social History in the 18Social History in the 18thth CenturyCentury
Characteristics of The Old Characteristics of The Old RegimeRegime
• AbsolutismAbsolutism
• Large Bureaucracy and ArmiesLarge Bureaucracy and Armies
• Urban Labor Force: GuildsUrban Labor Force: Guilds
• Rural Peasantry: Taxed heavilyRural Peasantry: Taxed heavily– Pay for Aristocratic Privilege Pay for Aristocratic Privilege
• Desire to maintain status quoDesire to maintain status quo
Challenges to the Old Challenges to the Old RegimeRegime
• Increase populationIncrease population
• Increased Consumer DemandIncreased Consumer Demand
• Increase of Food CostsIncrease of Food Costs
• Increased Intellectual Developments Increased Intellectual Developments
• Peasants on the Verge of FaminePeasants on the Verge of Famine
• Changing Social ClassesChanging Social Classes– Growth of Cities and Urban PopulationGrowth of Cities and Urban Population– Greater Demand on Crop ProductionGreater Demand on Crop Production
Western AristocracyWestern Aristocracy
• British NobilityBritish Nobility– Most Responsible of AristocratsMost Responsible of Aristocrats– Balanced Interest in ParliamentBalanced Interest in Parliament
•House of Lords and House of CommonsHouse of Lords and House of Commons
– Smallest and Wealthiest Nobles in Smallest and Wealthiest Nobles in EuropeEurope
– Noble and Common Man Pay TaxesNoble and Common Man Pay Taxes– Dominated Local Government (Counties)Dominated Local Government (Counties)
Western Aristocracy Western Aristocracy • French Nobility Split French Nobility Split
into Two Groupsinto Two Groups– Nobility of the Sword Nobility of the Sword
and Nobility of the and Nobility of the RobeRobe
– Exempt From Taxes Exempt From Taxes and Corvand Corvéées es
– Expensive to Expensive to maintain prominent maintain prominent status in status in governmentgovernment
Eastern AristocracyEastern Aristocracy
• Polish Nobility (Szlachta)Polish Nobility (Szlachta)– Right of Life and Death Over SerfsRight of Life and Death Over Serfs– Exempt From all TaxesExempt From all Taxes– Relatively Poor but the Few With Relatively Poor but the Few With
Immense Estates had Political PowerImmense Estates had Political Power
• Austria and HungaryAustria and Hungary– Broad Judicial Powers by Manorial Broad Judicial Powers by Manorial
CourtsCourts– Local Nobility Wield Significant Local Nobility Wield Significant
PowerPower– Various Degrees of Tax ExemptionVarious Degrees of Tax Exemption
Eastern AristocracyEastern Aristocracy• PrussiaPrussia
– Nobles Made up Nobles Made up Bureaucracy and Army Bureaucracy and Army OfficersOfficers
– Extensive Judicial Extensive Judicial AuthorityAuthority
• RussiaRussia– Table of Ranks Table of Ranks – Widows Inherited Rank Widows Inherited Rank
(Title) of Husband(Title) of Husband– Harshest Repression on Harshest Repression on
SerfsSerfs– Exempt from Personal Exempt from Personal
TaxesTaxes
Family and Economy in the 18Family and Economy in the 18thth CenturyCentury
• Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution
• UrbanizationUrbanization–Emerging modern class Emerging modern class systemsystem–Upper class rule citiesUpper class rule cities–Poor artisans and Poor artisans and shopkeepers organize into shopkeepers organize into guildsguilds
• Early Industrial Early Industrial RevolutionRevolution– Begins in Great BritainBegins in Great Britain– New Methods of Textile New Methods of Textile
productionproduction– The Steam EngineThe Steam Engine– Iron ProductionIron Production– Coal ConsumptionCoal Consumption
• Lower Class Riots very Lower Class Riots very commoncommon
Impact on FamilyImpact on Family• Cottage Industries Cottage Industries
(West)(West)• Family means of Family means of
production and production and consumptionconsumption
• East vs WestEast vs West– Western Families Grow Western Families Grow
Smaller, nuclear (Pre-Smaller, nuclear (Pre-industrialized)industrialized)
– Eastern Families remain Eastern Families remain large and extended large and extended (Agrarian)(Agrarian)
• UrbanizationUrbanization– Cities serve as Cities serve as
• Industrial centersIndustrial centers• Market townsMarket towns• Financial centersFinancial centers• Capital cities (National Capital cities (National
and Regional)and Regional)
• Growth overwhelms Growth overwhelms city governmentscity governments
• Conditions for poor Conditions for poor are atrocious.are atrocious.
• Private philanthropy Private philanthropy assist poorassist poor
Impact of Women and Impact of Women and ChildrenChildren• WomenWomen• Increased role in Increased role in
household economyhousehold economy• Decreased role in Decreased role in
textiles (temporary)textiles (temporary)• Displaced peasant Displaced peasant
women become women become servantsservants
• Increased Increased promiscuity and promiscuity and unwanted childrenunwanted children
• ChildrenChildren– Participated in Participated in
Family economyFamily economy– Son would carry on Son would carry on
family businessfamily business– Extras would Extras would
become servants as become servants as teens or join the teens or join the work forcework force
– Increase in orphansIncrease in orphans– Infanticide Infanticide