The Evolution of Social Classes in Great Britain from Tudor Times to the 21st C. Romina Fernández.
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1485
Battle of Bosworth Field
The victory of the Battle of Bosworth marks the end of the War of the Roses and starts a period of relative peace and prosperity which impacted on the social sphere. -
Period: 1485 to
Tudor Times
Marked difference in classes:
the monarch,
noblemen and church ministers,
gentry and merchants, and,
peasants and unskilled workers.
It is important to highlight that the middle classes rise in this period for the economic growth. -
Queen Elizabeth dies
James I succeds Queen Elizabeth I and starts a new dynasty. The period witnesses civil wars and revolts. -
Period: to
Stuart Times
Social mobility due to inflationary and demogrphic pressures. "Prodigy" and manor houses appear, lesser gentry make profits from rents and farming, yeomen farmers thrive, merchants and clothiiers succed, especially in the south. Geographical inequality: improvident landlords and farmers hit by poor harvests and the plague increase levels of poverty. -
Queen Anne dies
Hanoverians suceed her. -
Period: to
The Georgian era
Clear divide based on status, income and reputation: upper classes, middle classes and lower classes. Rich rural subjects become even richer. Smallholders and customary tenants are impoverished by the enclosure of land and the commercialisation of agriculture. The Industrial Revolution implies the spread of poorly-paid workers (including women and children). Gap between the have and the have-nots gets wider. -
Period: to
Victorian England
Upper class: aristocrats, nobles, dukes and wealthy families, enjoy power.
Middle class: prosperous period. Positive impact on education and children.
Working class: remains aside and resentful. Vulnerable to exploitation. Pathetic living conditions.
Women: opportunity to work and earn money, changing old beliefs. -
Queen Victoria dies
King Edward VII suceeds her. -
Period: to
20th C. Britain
The 2 world wars, politics, human rights movements, the welfare state, access to education and the media change many aspects of society.
Attitude, fame and popularity play an important part in defining class. Immigration also modifies patterns. -
Period: to
21st C. Britain
7 classes: Elite, Established middle class, Technical middle class, New affluent workers, Traditional working class, Emergent service workers and Precariate proletariat.
Social and cultural capital play a role in defining social status. -
King William IV dies
His niece, Queen Victoria takes over the throne.
