Industrial Social Classes

Industrialization is the process of shifting from from an agricultural economy to one dominated by manufacturing.  In the late 1700s and early 1800s, new machines were invented that could do work for humans.  This caused several countries to industrialize.  Britain, Western Europe, the United States, and Japan are all examples.  

Most countries did not industrialize to the same degree during this period. This article doesn't attempt to describe their experience during this period. This is an important topic, but it's one for another day.

We're also painting with a rather broad brush.  Things aren't going to be exactly the same in Japan as they are in, say, France.  Those are two radically different countries.  So, we're focusing on things we can say are true for most industrializing countries.  Historians and other social commentators also disagree on how to divide people into social classes.  Some professions, like bureaucrats, don't fit neatly into this model.  However, this is a common model and a useful way to think about this aspect of life.

If you want to know the impact of the Industrial Revolution on social class in a nutshell, here you go:

• The Industrial Revolution fundamentally changed how people obtained and spent money.  So, it's no surprise that it would also impact social classes.  
• The relative size, power, and influence of existing groups changed as industrialization continued.  
• Industrialization also created new social classes.  
• Social arrangements changed, and things improved for a large chunk of the population.  Industrialization did not benefit all social classes to the same degree.  ​

Monarchs, nobles, and landowners traditionally enjoyed the most social power and privilege.  They tended to be wary or outright hostile to social change.  When you are at the top of pyramid, there is nowhere to go but down.  That doesn't make radical social change look particularly appealing. 

Old elites took many steps to protect their power and status.

• Old elites often opposed modernization efforts to preserve their own political power.  This included political, technological, and economic reforms.
• Old elites violently repressed the Atlantic Revolutions to prevent losing control of valuable territories and changing political systems.
• Old elites used their political power to block industrial reforms. The Russian boyars (noble landowners) slowed industrialization in the Russian Empire so they could maintain control over the serfs and Russian politics.

Despite these efforts, the monarchy and nobility lost significant power during this period.  The Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution caused this change.

• After the Atlantic Revolutions, new governments formed that did not have nobles or monarchs.
• Countries that did not have revolutions often implemented Enlightenment reforms like voting and division of power.
• It became easier during the Industrial Revolution to make money without owning land.  This created new competition for spaces at the top of the social pyramid.  ​

The merchant class was on the rise long before the Industrial Revolution began.  Capitalism emerged as Europe recovered from the Bubonic Plague.  As the economy recovered, more money started to circulate around Europe.  This increased the demand for luxury products hot off the Silk Roads, as well as gold from West Africa.  Next thing you know, wealthy Italian merchants are bankrolling the Renaissance and ruling Italy.

Industrialization only juiced this new system.  

• The ability to mass produce products meant more things were available to buy and sell.  
• New technology made it easier to move products from place to place.  
• New business opportunities arrived en masse. People who had money could invest in joint-stock companies and build factories.  
• If that wasn't enough, the standard of living improved.  For the first time ever, lots of people can buy things that they do not need for survival.  Shopping is suddenly a hobby  

This class expanded in size and influence before and during the Industrial Revolution.  They used their growing power to reduce the power of the Old Elites.  Merchants and factory owners often viewed Old Elites as total sticks in the mud. In other words, unwilling to change and unfairly biased against merchants.  It was no accident that port cities like Boston were hot spots for revolutionaries. After the American Revolution was over, there were no nobles or kings to get in the way of business ventures.  

Later, they used money from their businesses to oppose reforms that would limit their businesses.  This includes paying strikebreakers, political lobbying, and running for office in democratic countries.

This is the social class most criticized by Karl Marx.  He referred to them as the bourgeoisie.  Marx despised social elites. His criticism of this social class reflects the power they gained during this period.  ​

The rural poor included people who worked on farms and estates of wealthy landowners.  This includes serfs, peasants, and slaves.  It also includes artisans whose skills supported food production.  Think blacksmiths, millers, and wheelrights.  It was uncommon for this group to own land, and they did not have significant wealth or political power.

This social class shrank during industrialization.  First, agricultural improvements made the land more productive.  This was great from a "not-starving-to-death" perspective. It was very bad for people who grew food. Their jobs evaporated.  Fewer workers could grow the same amount of food. Many landowners kicked farmers off of land they had used for generations.

Many of these folks moved to the nearest city, where they joined the industrial working class.  Others moved abroad. They either worked on farms or joined the industrial working class in their new country.  ​

The industrial working class grew rapidly during this time.  Displaced agricultural workers often headed to cities in search of jobs.  They found jobs in factories and working for railroads.  These jobs didn't require training and were plentiful.  So many members of the rural poor joined a new social class, the industrial working class.  That helped it expand.

The industrial working class also grew because factory jobs and city life had perks.  Many of these jobs paid better than other options.  Other aspects of industrial jobs were appealing.  Factory work had regular hours.  Those hours were long and grueling, but they were clearly defined.  Domestic servants often had to be on call at all hours of the day and night. Industrial workers had more money and time, which they often spent having fun.  This included visiting movie theaters, music halls, and amusement parks. These options were not available in most rural places.  These perks drew more and more people into the industrial working class.

That's not to say that everything was "bright lights, big city."  Much of the industrial working class toiled away in unsafe working conditions.  It was not uncommon for people to work six or seven days a week.  Wages were low, which required all members of a family to find ways to earn money.  Injuries were common.  Change was slow.  Workers often banded together to demand better treatment. But often the change was mass firings and violent retribution.  Outside of work, cities were dirty and crowded.  Outbreaks of disease was common, as were crime and poverty.

Second, they worked hard to create better circumstances for their children.  Overtime, it became common for children to attend school instead of working. Often, laws required school attendance, but it was difficult for many families to do this. Sending a child to school meant losing income. But many families sacrificed to ensure their child could learn to read, write, and do math. They wanted their children to have opportunities they didn't have. 

And for many, that paid off.  Children of factory workers often became bookkeepers, teachers, and clerks.  In doing so, they moved into the middle class.  ​

The middle class is the other new social class that developed during this time.

This always begs the question.  The middle of what?

The answer is the middle of the social classes.  The middle class has more social status and wealth than the industrial working class. They have less than the old elites or factory owners.  Middle of the pecking order = middle class.

The middle class included accountants, lawyers, scientists, teachers, and clerks.  This social class is sometimes referred to as "white-collar" workers or working professionals.

The middle class grew during the Industrial Revolution.  Industrialization created new business and revolutionized old ones.  More businesses meant more jobs for people who could help a business run.  Accountants, lawyers, scientists, bankers, and factory managers all benefited. 

Other jobs were peripheral to business, but still grew.  Teaching is one example of this.  Many parents and governments wanted children to attend school instead of working.  They needed more teachers to supervise and educate children.  

Doctors are another example. They worked outside of the industrial sphere.  But growing urbanization led to disease outbreaks and other health issues.  The middle class had money to pay for doctors. Urbanization made it easier for doctors to see many patients.  The number of doctors that could make living in any specific place increased.

Middle class jobs usually required some education.  This reduced the number of people available to do any given job. It also increased the costs of replacing a worker.  This mean that middle class workers tended to made more money. They often had better working conditions and often had more stable employment.

These factors helped make the middle class a major economic force.  Members of the middle class had money and time to attend theaters, ballets, plays, and concerts.  They also bought all manner of products solely because they wanted them.  The middle class helped turn shopping into a hobby, instead of a chore.  Bookstores, newspapers, and department stores all expanded as a result.  This demand created new businesses and jobs.  ​