The Old Regime The life and institutions of pre-revolutionary Europe Aristocrats- 5% of population Controlled majority of land Aristocrats used existing government institutions to limit the power of the monarchy

English Aristocracy Consists of 400 of families Game Laws- gave English exclusive rights to hunt from 1671 to 1831 Owned ¼ of all arable land Controlled the House of Lords and House of Commons (limited power of Monarchy)

France’s Three Estates First (Clergy) Second (Nobility) Third (Everyone Else) 97 % of population

French Aristocracy Consisted of Military Officers and Bureaucrats Two major groups: Those who were at Versailles (wealthy and power) Those who were not Versailles Didn’t pay taxes at all Paid their tax in blood 80% of the people in France were peasants A few worked their own land Most worked others land Paid half of their production to land owners Add taxes to the state and the Church

France The Rich are richer and the Poor are poorer Rent went up by half Wages only went up 25% People were starving

The Church Didn’t pay taxes either Author Young Abuse of wealth “Privilege and Poverty”

The Land and its Tillers ¾ of all Europeans lived in country during 18th century Great Britain- Technically had rights of English Citizens (court run by landowners) France- Responsible for amount of forced labor corvee. Paid feudal dues

Serfs in Russia and Prussia Prussia- complete control of serfs Russian Serfs = slaves, had no legal rights Numerous revolts between 1762 and 1769 Pugachev’s Rebellion between 1773-1775

Southeast Europe and Ottoman Serfs Relatively free because of high demand of labor Could leave landlords if they choose to do so Gave more power within system

Family Structures and Family Economy in Northeast Households in Northwest Europe- consisted of married couple and children (immediate family) Children leave in teens and find work to support family Neolocalism- leave and form own families around 20s (stayed relatively close to home)

Family Structure and Family Econ in Eastern Europe Marriage much earlier (before 20) Wives older than husbands 3 or 4 generations lived under same roof

Agricultural Revolution Product of Innovation Starts in England and the low countries

ALL SET Science Entrepreneurship Technology The Keys to Understanding the Agricultural Revolution Science Entrepreneurship Technology

Three-Field Crop Rotation (Middle Ages) OUT with the old Wheat Oats Fallow 1 2 3

Four-Field Crop Rotation (Seventeenth Century) 4 IN with the new WHEAT OATES CLOVER TURNIPS

There’s GOT to be a better way… More Fields = More FOOD There’s GOT to be a better way… Selective Breeding The application of scientific principles to agriculture Belgian Blue I have a genetic defect that’s been perpetuated by selective breeding. Thanks, Science!

Agricultural Revolution Production improves in Netherlands (Golden Age) Built Dikes Expanded Land Experimented with new crops

England and Agricultural Revolution English Landlords popularized Dutch innovations Robert Bakewell- new methods of Animal Breeding Charles Townsend- use of fertilizer and crop rotation

England and Agricultural Revolution (continued) Enclosure Method: replaced open field method (village commons) of farming. Commercialized agriculture and maximized profits for landlord

Enclosure Movement The DOWNSIDE: Hurt poor farmers who lost grazing rights for their cattle on the common land The UPSIDE: Agriculture production, as a whole, became more market- oriented and efficient.

English Poor Laws Workhouses, such as this one, provided shelter and employment for the able-bodied poor.

Bigger farms = MORE FOOD Creative Destruction Economic progress often hurts groups of people in the short term, but in the long run, it produces a greater amount of material prosperity for future generations.

Agricultural Innovation The Farmer as Inventor Jethro Tull’s Seed Drill Puts seeds where they’re suppose to go Thomas Jefferson’s Moldboard Plow George Washington's 16 sided barn Portable Threshing Machine Innovation had been lacking for awhile Jesus the Sower Parable Threshing Wheat Manually hitting wheat with nun-chucks like things Separating the wheat from the seed Better Tools = MORE FOOD

18th Century Population EXPLOSION

Industrial Revolution Made possible the production of more goods and services than ever before Iron Production- redefines gender roles: men to mines; women to cottage industries New machinery invented (from animal to machine power) Spinning Jenny Water Frame The Steam Engine

The Growth of Cities The Growth of Cities (urbanization) 1650- 1700 Agricultural Revolution- allows for urban centers to grow Industrial Revolution- requires workers to live nearby factories Social Divisions- upper classes; middle class; artisans; and peasants

The Jewish Population Majority lives in Eastern Europe (exception Netherlands) Russia- Catherine the Great intolerant of Jewish population discourage settlement Jewish population were persecuted all across Europe