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