18th century Europe Social and Economic continuity and change

  • English Enclosure acts

    English Enclosure acts

    Laws that consolidated open fields and turned them into privately owned farms. This did increase efficiency within farming, but replaced the ability of peasants to practice on their own land. This limitation placed upon peasants resulted in them migrating into cities, transforming the populations of English regions. This was a significant change in European society, demonstrating a shift in typical economic structures, as people sought new jobs, and social structures, as populations changed.
  • Mississippi Bubble, France (and John Law)

    Mississippi Bubble, France (and John Law)

    Created by John Law. An experiment with paper money, and national banking. This was an attempt at modernizing French economics, but as the "bubble" burst public trust shattered, and societal resentment towards nobility great--especially for those heavily invested. This demonstrates the continued struggle of European nations in mobilizing economies, but showed change as it was an early attempt at central banking, and national financing.
  • English Poor Law Reform

    English Poor Law Reform

    A poor relief system aiming to address rising unemployment as rural workers moved into urban regions. These reforms favored workhouses, and reinforced the social separation between who deserves and doesn't deserve assistance. This demonstrates the continued attempts within Europe in regulating poverty, but shows the changing pressures as England grew increasingly more industrialized.
  • English Gin Acts

    English Gin Acts

    Government regulated Gin consumption, which had become popularized amongst the struggling urban poor class, was an attempt at controlling the major social issues that arose from it-crime, and decreased productivity in work. This demonstrating change, marking a time of increasing governmental involvement in social issues with the increase in concentrated urban populations.
  • English Industrial innovations

    English Industrial innovations

    Things like the spinning Jenny allowed for textile production to increase, and reduce the reliance upon hard manual labor systems. This shifted industry from homes--cottage industry--into factories, marking a significant shift in efficiency of production, and located of production. This resulted in social change, shifting methods of work, and increased efficiency, and economic change as people began to be paid wages, and social classes became increasingly divided between owners, and workers.
  • Maria Theresa Serfdom Reforms, Austria

    Maria Theresa Serfdom Reforms, Austria

    Serfdom in Russia was attempting to be regulated by Maria Theresa through creating a more humane system. Without abolishing serfdom she reduced exploitation of peasants, and increased their rights. This demonstrated the changing way that social standards are viewed within the workforce, and the economic shifts, as prior reliance on feudal ties is slowly abandoned.
  • Turgot Reforms, France

    Turgot Reforms, France

    Turgot attempted to abolish guilds, and free gain trade, while also reducing the noble tax exemptions during Louis XVI rule. He wanted to reform French economy, and modernize their finances through increased efficiency, but faced much backlash from wealthy French groups. This demonstrated the economic shift as people pushed for freedom of finances, and demonstrated continued resistance from elites within France towards reform.
  • Adam Smiths, Wealth of Nations publication

    Adam Smiths, Wealth of Nations publication

    Adam Smith criticized the typical mercantilist views of Europe. He promoted free markets, and capitalism. He allowed for intellectual ideas about classical economics to grow, and his ideas allowed Europe to reimagine many aspects of their economy-taxes, monopolies, tariffs, guilds. This demonstrates the economic change in Europe shifting from state controlled, to a more independent, private functioning of enterprise.
  • Charter to Nobility, Catherine the Great, Russia

    Charter to Nobility, Catherine the Great, Russia

    Granted Russian nobility privileges that demonstrated traditional social hierarchies that continued to seep into European society. These privileges included control over serfs, and exemption from state obligations. This strengthened the already powerful aristocracy, and demonstrates the continued economic reliance on serfdom, and feudal society within Russia.
  • Abolition of internal tariffs, under French Revolution-Decree of 1790

    Abolition of internal tariffs, under French Revolution-Decree of 1790

    National Assembly eliminated internal barriers, that allowed for goods to be moved in and out of France freely. This changed the economy drastically, increasing efficiency, and the amount of manufactured goods produced. It weakened regional identities, particularly tied into local marketing strategies, marking a social change in how European identify.