15+-+Society+and+Economy+Under+the+Old+Regime

=Chapter 15: Society and Economy Under the Old Regime =

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 * 1) **Old Regime-** Term applied to the pattern of social, political, and economic relationships and institutions that existed in Europe before the French Revolution
 * 1) **Aristocratic Resurgence-** Term applied to the eighteenth-century aristocratic efforts to resist the expanding power of European monarchies
 * 1) **Seigneur-** A noble French landlord
 * 1) **Robot-** The amount of labor landowners demanded from peasants in the Habsburg Monarchy
 * 1) **Agricultural Revolution **- The innovations in farm production that began in the eighteenth century and led to a scientific and mechanized agriculture.
 * 1) **Enclosures-** The Consolidation or fencing in of common lands by British landlords to increase production and achieve greater commercial profits. It also involved the reclamation of waste land and the consolidation of strips into block fields.
 * 1) **Industrial Revolution-** Mechanization of the European economy that began in Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century.
 * 1) **Domestic System of Textile Production-** Method of producing textiles in which agents furnished raw materials to households whose members spun them into thread and then wove cloth, which the agents then sold as finished products
 * 1) **Spinning Jenny-** A machine invented in England by James Hargreaves around 1765 to mass-produce thread.
 * 1) **Water Frame-** A water-powered device invented by Richard Arkwright to produce a more durable cotton fabric. It led to the shift in the production of cotton textiles from households to factories.
 * 1) **Ghettos-** Separate communities in which Jews were required by law to live.

** Important People **

1. ** Peter the Great ** – Peter was the Czar of Russia from 1682 to 1725. Peter helped to create a stable noble class in Russia. He linked the amount of time one must spend serving the state with the social status of a man. The wealthier you were the less time you would have to spend in service. This proved that the wealthy would have more power than the poor in Russia for the years to follow. 2. ** Emelyan Pugachev ** – Emelyan Pugachev is responsible for orchestrating the largest peasant revolt in eighteenth century Russia. He got the support of the peasants by promising them their freedom from serfdom and land of their own. He led this revolt from 1773 to 1775, until he was brutally suppressed by the Russian government. After this the serfs made no attempt at improving their lives or gaining their freedom. 3. ** Cornelius Vermuyden ** – Cornelius Vermuyden was a dutch man that was imperative in creating the new drainage system for runoff water in the Netherlands. He became so famous for this that England hired him to drain off thousands of acres of farm land near the city of Cambridge. 4. ** Jethro Tull ** – Jethro was an Englishman who popularized many of the modern agricultural techniques that we still use today. He came up with the idea to use iron plows to turn the soil more deeply and make it more ample for planting. He also was the one who said it is better to plant a wheat crop by using a drill rather than casting the seeds into the soil. 5. ** Charles Townsend ** – Townsend is also an Englishman who is the first to start using the planting method of crop rotation. This idea allowed the farmers to use the field for crops that would not only produce many fruits and vegetables but also make the soil more fertile. Thus allowing for a bigger supply of food for livestock. This in turn allowed the humans to have year round meat. This method was beneficial for both the humans and the animals. 6. ** Robert Bakewell ** – Bakewell is a third Englishman who found new methods for raising livestock. Bakewell’s method of raising livestock allowed for more livestock to be bred. This caused there to be more milk and meat produced by the livestock and also improved the quality of the products. 7. ** James Hargreaves ** – This Englishman was the inventor of a machine called the Spinning Jenny. This machine allowed 16 spindles to be spun at once when it was first invented and by the end of the eighteenth century it allowed for 120 spindles to operate at the same time. This greatly increased the amount of textiles that could be produced in a very short period of time. 8. ** Edmund Cartwright ** – He invented the power loom. This was an electrically powered machine that was able to weave cloth. It was just another addition to the weaving process that allowed textiles to be produced even more quickly in Great Britain.

**Major Events**
-Rebellions by peasants began to sweep through Russia and other Eastern European countries between 1762-1786. The serfs rose because of the continued degradation of their position. Under the reign on Peter the Great, whole villages were given to favored nobles. In addition under Catherine the Great nobles control over serfs was confirmed in exchange for political contributions by land owners.
 * Peasants Rebellions**
 * There were over fifty revolts between 1762-1769
 * These revolts concluded with [|Pugachev’s Rebellion](1773-1775), which rallied serfs on the promise of their own land and freedom from their lords. This rebellion was brutally suppressed by governmental forces, subsiding further revolts for a generation.
 * Revolts also occurred in Bohemia (1775), Transylvania (1784), Moravia (1786), and Austria (1789).
 * Western Europe had nearly no revolts, but rural riots did occur in this region. These rural riots attacked property rather than people and were caused by unfair pricing, feudal dues, and unjust officials.


 * Agriculture Revolution**
 * -**During the eighteenth century peasants saw bread prices slowly but steadily rising throughout the decade. This was caused mainly by an increase in the population. Small peasants farmers did not value off of the inflation put on the poor; however, farmers and landowners with surplus grain were able to sell grain at the higher prices. The increase in funds granted landowners and farmers to experiment with new technologies and farm production known as the Agricultural Revolution.
 * Innovators like [|Jethro Tull,] conducted experiments and funded others research in the farming field. Jethro Tull's work included the use of the iron plow to rototille the earth, planting wheat by drill rather than casting its seeds, and flute laden rock albums.
 * Crop rotation, replacing fallow fields with one crop that restores nutritional value to soil each year, was introduced by [|Charles "Turnip" Townsend].
 * This period saw a transition from open fielded farms to enclosed ones.
 * The increased food population and the the cultivation of the potato caused the population in Europe to go from 100-120 million in 1700 to 190 million in 1800.


 * Industrial Revolution**
 * -**During the late eighteenth century the economy of Europe began to grow at an uninterrupted pace. This period known as the Industrial Revolution increased the production of goods and created a demand for more services than ever needed in history. Europe began the transition from a farming society to one based on industry and development. The new methods of production created a demand for new skills, discipline in work, and a larger labor force. This period created new demands for the average consumer and improved production across nearly all businesses. Overall the Industrial Revolution raised the standard of living and gave people further control in their lives.
 * The term Industrial Revolution was coined after the French Revolution after writers observed that the economic events of Britain were equivalent to the political ones of France.
 * The expansion in consumerism led to unprecedented demand in humble goods such as clothing, buttons, toys, china, furniture, rugs, kitchen utensils, candlesticks, brass ware, silverware, jewelry, and foodstuffs.
 * Great Britain lead the way for the Industrial Revolution. This was caused by its efficient supplies, London being the largest city in Europe, free-trade, and mobile standards.
 * One main product of the Industrial Revolution was textile, which met a growing demand and benefitted from the advances in technology.
 * The Industrial Revolution was supported by the inventions of the period including: [|The Spinning Jenny], [|The Water Flame], and the [|Steam Engine].

-Between 1500 and 1800 Europe saw remarkable changes in the transition of its people from rural areas to urban cities. In 1500 only 156 cities had a population greater than 10,000, by 1800 363 cities had 10,000 or more inhabitants. The transition to the urban environment was caused by the overall population increase of the period and the the prosperity of agriculture. The profits made by some farmers allowed them to create new lives for themselves in cities where it was believed more and greater opportunities existed.
 * Growth of the Cities**
 * Between 1600-1750 a majority of the growth of the cities occured in capitals or ports. This was caused by the success of monarchial states and overseas trade.
 * By the mid eighteenth century existing large cities growth patterns began to decline, as new cities emerged and smaller cities became larger. This was fostered by the Industrial Revolution which often occured in the countryside and created smaller towns near large cities.
 * Shopkeepers, artisans, and wage earners were always the largest group in the city.
 * Artisans often rose up in these cities against the price of bread.

-During this period most European Jews lived in Eastern Europe, mainly concentrating in Poland, Lithuana, and Ukraine. Jews often did not enjoy the acceptance of other religions. An example of this was in 1762 when Catherine the Great of Russia, specifically excluded Jews from a manifesto that welcome foreigners to settle in Russia. Jews did not enjoy the rights and privileges of other subjects, thus Jews often lived in distinct city districts among other Jews, known as ghettos. In some countries such as Poland, Jews were virtually self-governing. However, in most areas Jews lived under discrimination and most European Jews lived in poverty.
 * The Age of the Ghetto**