Growth of the Middle Class
Overview
Growth of the Middle Class with Industrialization
Title Image description - Schubertiade in a middle-class Viennese household, heliogravure after a painting by Julius Schmid, 2nd half of 19th century
During the Industrial Revolution, not everyone lived in poor conditions and struggled with the challenges of rapid industrialization. The Industrial Revolution also gave rise to a new middle class of industrialists and professionals who lived in much better conditions than they had before. In fact, one of the earlier definitions of the middle class equated it to the original meaning of capitalist: someone with so much capital that they could rival nobles. To be a capital-owning millionaire was an important criterion of the middle class during the Industrial Revolution. Additionally, the period witnessed a growth in professionals, including lawyers, doctors, small business owners, and government officials; these professionals did not share the fate of the early industrial working class and enjoyed a comfortable standard of living in growing cities.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the human and environmental consequences of Industrialization and the factory system in England.
- Compare the lives of factory owners and workers in England during Industrialization.
This new industrial middle class also was defined by its members’ limited access to the new consumer goods made possible through mass production. In this respect these new consumer goods gave rise to the new materialistic aspirations; the satisfaction of which determined one’s place in the new industrial class hierarchy. These new consumer goods were the core of a new consumer culture. Other components of this new consumer culture included department stores, mail order catalogs, and world fairs, where such consumer goods could be displayed. Department stores, such as Le Bon Marche which opened in Paris in 1852, allowed shoppers to actively shop with the store serving as a huge display case. This model of shopping replaced the old model in which shopkeepers controlled the process of shopping. Mail order catalogs allowed consumers to shop by mail, using railroads to transport their purchases. World fairs, the first of which took place in London in 1851, known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, provided huge showcases of new products and inventions to titillate the new desires of shoppers.
Both a new working and upper class emerged with industrialization. These new working, middle, and upper classes were continuations of the preindustrial working, middle, and upper classes, but evolved with the changes of industrialization. Through the changes of industrialization the new incarnations of these classes distinguished themselves in the same sorts of ways that they had distinguished themselves before the Industrial Revolution, including dress, housing, associations, recreational pursuits, and conspicuous spending, among other visible signs of class status. Even more than before the Industrial Revolution such visible manifestations of class status reflected the accomplishments of one within her or his class. These manifestations were part of the new quantification that took hold with industrialization.
Relations among members of all three new classes changed accordingly. As part of these changing relationships members of the new industrial middle class sought to close the distance between themselves and the new industrial upper class, while increasing the distance from the new industrial working class. These efforts by the middle classes to distance themselves from the working class, along with other developments, inspired the establishment of political parties and other kinds of organizations that were designed to empower them politically. These new parties were part of the larger trend of political democratization that grew out of the Industrial Revolution.
Attributions
Images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Title Image - Au Bon Marche, opened in Paris in 1887. Attribution: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Provided by: Wikipedia. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Au_Bon_March%C3%A9_(vue_g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale_-_gravure).jpg. License: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Boundless World History
"Social Change"
Adapted from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/social-change/
CC licensed content, Shared previously
- Curation and Revision. Provided by: Boundless.com. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
CC licensed content, Specific attribution
- Factory system. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_system. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Factory. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Etruria Works. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Josiah Wedgwood. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Soho Manufactory. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Cromford Mill. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Luddite. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Truck system. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Putting-out system. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- FrameBreaking-1812.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cromford_1771_mill.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Middle class. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Malthusian trap. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- History of rail transport. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Cottonopolis. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- British Agricultural Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Factory system. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Life in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Urbanization. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- The Condition of the Working Class in England. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- FrameBreaking-1812.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cromford_1771_mill.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Die_Lage_der_arbeitenden_Klasse_in_England.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cottonopolis1.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Mines and Collieries Act 1842. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Women in the Victorian era. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Life in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- History of coal mining. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Hurrying. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- FrameBreaking-1812.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cromford_1771_mill.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Die_Lage_der_arbeitenden_Klasse_in_England.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cottonopolis1.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Powerloom_weaving_in_1835.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Second Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Mines and Collieries Act 1842. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Child labour. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_labour. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Factories Act 1847. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Victorian era. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Factory Acts. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- History of coal mining. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Hurrying. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Phossy jaw. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Life in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- FrameBreaking-1812.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cromford_1771_mill.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Die_Lage_der_arbeitenden_Klasse_in_England.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cottonopolis1.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Powerloom_weaving_in_1835.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Baines_1835-Mule_spinning.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Coaltub.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Luddite. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Industrial Revolution. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Radical War. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Trade Union Act 1871. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Emma Paterson. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Chartism. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- History of trade unions in the United Kingdom. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Trade union. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Combinations of Workmen Act 1825. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Tolpuddle Martyrs. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- Combination Act 1799. Provided by: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- FrameBreaking-1812.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cromford_1771_mill.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Die_Lage_der_arbeitenden_Klasse_in_England.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Cottonopolis1.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Powerloom_weaving_in_1835.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Baines_1835-Mule_spinning.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Coaltub.png. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Meeting_of_the_trade_unionists_in_Copenhagen_Fields_April_21_1834_for_the_purpose_of_carrying_a_petition_to_the_King_for_a_remission_of_the_sentence_passed_on_the_Dorchester_labourers_1293402.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- 1024px-William_Edward_Kilburn_-_View_of_the_Great_Chartist_Meeting_on_Kennington_Common_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg. Provided by: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
Title Image -