1. Society & Economy Under The Old Regime 18th Century
AP Euro Chapter 15

2. Pre-Revolutionary Europe
Society Prior to 1789
Is referred to the
“Ancien regime”, or “old regime”

3. Features of Old Regime 1. Aristocrats with inherited privileges
2. Urban labor force organized into guilds
3.Rural peasantry subject to taxes

4. Visible Social Hierarchy
1. Laws dictated what different classes could wear
2. Rights depended on social class
3. Not all had to pay taxes
4. Certain activities restricted to upper class

5. The Aristocracy…
1. Consisted of 1% to 5% of the Population in any given European Country
2.They Inherited wealth & Land
3. The Ruling Class

6. The Aristocracy 4. Set the example of manners & conduct
5. Led “lives of idleness”
6. Had certain privileges

7. British Nobility 400 elite families
Average estate size: a thousand to 50 thousand acres !!
Owned ¼ of arable (good) farming land

8. How Big is an Acre?

9. British Nobility Oldest son inherited: 1. Title
2. Right to sit in House of Lords = Political power

10. British Nobility Younger Sons had to Choose Profession:
Commerce, Military Officer, Church Office.

11. Peerage System :Titles of Nobility Amongst Aristocracy
The peerage a collective term for people who possessed certain titles of honor.
The Titles in The Peerage ( In descending order):
Duke or Duchess
Marquess or Marchioness
Earl or Countess
Viscount or Viscountess
Baron or Lady

12. Peerage System :Titles of Nobility Amongst Aristocracy

13. English Game Laws
Exclusive right of aristocrats to hunt hares, partridges, pheasants, deer etc.

14. I am a Pheasant, not a Peasant

15. British Noble Women
"...the greatest challenge faced by females of the leisured classes was how to be leisured..."
Upper class women had tutors, learned “womanly activities” and had lots of free time!

16. 18th Century English Trends: Men
Noble Men wore “Banyan” 
“man of the house” outfit
An Asian inspired outfit for staying at home

17. Noble Hairstyles 18th Century
By 1780’s younger men wore lightly powdered natural hair
1795 English established tax for hair powder
Which caused the demise of the powdered wig/hair 
                                                 

18. 18th Century English Trends: Women
Clothes Reflected:
“softness, prettiness, delicacy”
Colors reflected natural world
With Decorative elements

19. 18th Century English Trends: Women & Cosmetics
Pieces of leather or fabric applied with adhesive on face to hide imperfections 
Lead face powder 
Rouge made from plaster of Paris & Carmine 

20. Aristocrats In France Different From England
Nobility acquired through:
1. Birth- inherited
2. office - awarded
3. “letters”- King’s order

21. French Titles of Nobility
Duke
Marquis
Comte (Earl)
Vicomte (viscount)
Baron

22. French Aristocratic Families & Prestige
how long had a given family been noble (l'ancienneté),
into what other families did it marry (les alliances),
what positions its members achieved and what offices they held (les dignités),
what actions they performed (les illustrations)

23. French Aristocrats 400,000 nobles Divided Into:
“Nobles of the sword”-military service
“Nobles of the robe”- bureaucracy
Second estate

24. French Nobility Hobereaux – provincial nobility Not as wealthy
But “nobles” non -the less

25. French Aristocrats Exempt from taxes
Rarely had to pay vingtieme income tax in full
Hunting & Fishing privileges

26. French Aristocrats
Known for extravagance in manner , dress, court culture
Remember Versailles?

27. Peasants & Serfs
Rural Reality

28. The Importance of Land Land – the Economic basis 18th century Europe
Foundation of status & power for nobility
Source of oppression for peasants

29. Rural Reality 3/4ths of all Europeans lived in rural areas
Worked the land

30. Peasants & Serfs: What’s the Difference?
Peasants – are “free” tenants (Western Europe)
Serfs- are not free. More like slaves (Eastern Europe)

31. French Peasants Seigneur or Land Lord can: Require labor from peasants
Charge feudal dues

32. Russian Serfs Nobles wealth measured by serfs, not land acreage
Barshchina- 6 day work week
Serfs can be punished
Like slaves

33. Russian Serf Rebellions
Over 50 in 1762
Pugachev’s Rebellion in Southern Russia ( )
Emelyan Pugachev Promised:
Serfs land of their own
Freedom from landlord
Russian govt. crushes rebellion

34. The Family Economy & The Household
Rural Living Pre-Industrial / Pre- Revolution

35. The Household… Basic unit of production
also known as “The Family Economy”
2 models:
1. North Western Europe
2. Eastern Europe

36. 1. North Western Household
Household consisted of the Nuclear Family:
Married couple, children , maybe a servant (younger person, a social equal, works until marriage).
Children live with parents until teen years

37. 1.North Western Household
Neocalism- when child moves away from home
Men marry at 26
Women marry at 23
Considered “late” marriage

38. 2. Eastern Europe Household
Household consisted of Extended Family:
Married couple, children, grandparents etc.
Larger households
Younger Parents
Idea is to “add” to household, not leave

39. Family Economy
1. Impossible for ordinary people to support themselves independently
2. Everyone in household worked
3. Goods produced for benefit of household
4. “self contained” unit

40. Those Who Lived By Themselves…
seen as suspicious!
Potential criminals, or beggars
Remember, even servants lived with a family…

41. Women and the Family Economy
Marriage regardless of class, an economic necessity!
Number 1 concern: maintaining house
Number 2 concern : bearing and rearing children

42. Life of Lower Class Women
At age 7, girls considered old enough to help around the house
Once a girl left home, she had to support family, and save up for her dowry

43. Women & Children High mortality rates for children – disease
Unsanitary conditions
The poor could not afford babies

44. Foundling Hospitals Paris, London
Homes for abandoned children “orphans”
Most children illegitimate
Parents could not afford them/gave them up

45. Abandoned Children
Link between movement of people and an increase in abandoned children
Link between rise of food prices and abandoned children

46. The Sad Truth…
Only 10 % of abandoned children lived to the age of ten.

47. The Agricultural Revolution
Changes in the midst…

48. Developments That Transform
European society & economy

49. Agricultural Questions 18th Century
1. How do you produce surplus crops?
2. How can you bring down the price of crops?

50. Agricultural Revolution
Innovations in agriculture led to improvements in agricultural production
And
Transformed the “traditional” family economy

51. Jethro Tull (1674-1741) English Developed Seed Drill
Seed drill Allows seeds to be planted in rows, rather than by casting seeds randomly

52. Charles “Turnip” Townsend (1674-1738)
English;
Introduced Crop Rotation – wheat, turnips, barley, clover
Crop rotation Restores nutrients in soil

53. Robert Bakewell (1725-1795) English;
Pioneered new methods of animal breeding
Bred stronger animals

54. Enclosure System 1. The fencing off of common lands
2. Commercialized agriculture (no longer a communal ritual)

55. Improvements in agriculture
1. Impacted the food supply in a positive manner
2. Allow landowners to have a “disposable” income – money left over to purchase manufactured goods, or invest in other business opportunities

56. Demographic Changes Europe’s Population Rose
1700 – 100 and 120 million
By 1800 – 190 million
By 1850 – 260 million
Mortality rates declined due to Changes in food supply

57. Industrial Revolution
Mid – Late 1700’s
From Domestic System to Industrialization

58. Industrialization Second Half of 18th Century
Focus on “Manufactured goods”
1. Led to movement of people
2. Growth of cities
3. Industrialization

59. Industrial Revolution Begins in Great Britain… Why?
1. Economic Center
2. Print Media : Newspapers, Magazines, advertising
3. Good roads & waterways to transport goods
4. Stable banking system
5. Mobile society & Large Population
6. Rich deposits of coal & ore
7. Transformation of Textile Industry

60. “Domestic” System (“Putting Out System)
1. Peasant home #1 would spin thread at home for extra $.
2. Agent would take finished thread to peasant home #2 . This family would then weave thread into fabric.

61. Domestic System of Textile Production
Was basic feature of family economy until Mid 18th Century
The demand for cotton textiles grew more rapidly than production,
So …
Investors searched for faster ways to produce fabric & clothing

62. 1. Water Power 1700’s Water Wheels power first machines & factories
Thus, 1st factories had to be built by water source

63. 2.The Flying Shuttle (1730’s)
Invented by: John Kay
Allowed weavers to work fast
Problem: they outpaced spinners

64. 3.The Spinning Jenny (1764) Invented by : James Hargreaves
Spun many threads at the same time (16 originally)

65. 4. Water Frame (1769) Invented By: Richard Arkwright
Used water power to speed up spinning

66. 5. The Steam Engine
1. Thomas Newcomen’s original invention 1712 – large, inefficient
Used to pump water out of coal mines

67. 5. The Steam Engine
2. James Watt’s Modified Version 1769 – revolutionized industry
Use of steam engine spread slowly until 1800’s

68. 6. Power Loom (1780’s) Invented by: Edmund Cartwright
Did not gain importance until 1830’s!
By then, more power loom weavers than hand loom weavers

69. Growth of Cities Population Growth between 1500-1800
However, less than 20% of population lived in cities
(in France, and in Great Britain)

70. Growth of Capitals & Ports (1600-1750)
1. Growth of Ports – a reflection of expansion of overseas trade
2. Growth of Capitals – a reflection of the success of monarchical state

71. New Cities Emerge, Small Cities Grow (mid 18th cent)
1. Innovations in agriculture – improved crop production led to growth of market towns
2. Factories Near Water – towns “grew” around factory as People moved.

72. Social Divisions Drastic differences between rich & poor
Nobles : Attempt to secure & expand privileges. Live “beautiful” lives
Poverty: found in both cities, & countryside. Live “filthy” lives. Lower classes have no rights, no chance at social mobility.

73. The Middle Class or “Bourgeoisie”
Urban residents
Merchants, trades people, bankers, Lawyers, Professionals
Grow wealthier and wealthier
Want political power and Social Prestige

74. Inequality of the Social Classes Leads us to…
The French Revolution
To be continued…