Essay on Social Class In The Us And Britain - 1569 Words

Social Class in the US and Britain Although the United States was a British Colony in the early 1700s, the differences between the two were definitely noticeable, especially in the socioeconomic fields, mostly due to the fact that slavery played a much larger role in the United States. At least from the moment in 1620 when the Mayflower anchored off Cape Cod, there has been an American Dream. Though hard to define, it usually entails the concept of freedom, justice and equality. Despite variations in the content of the dream there is one constant, the American Dream is a dream of the future and as such implies the idea of progress, change and equality. Our dreams may differ from those of the men who wrote the Mayflower Compact†¦show more content†¦(1727: Colonial America) This class provided leading statesmen and great generals, many of whom had a vital role in the American Revolution. (Population and Social Rank) The following class, which was by far the largest, was the middle class. (Population and Social Rank) This included owners of small stores and businesses, small farmers, and craftsmen. (1727: Colonial America) They were mostly educated, and lived successful lives. They also had very high moral standards and some were deeply religious. (Population and Social Rank) Most middle class men could vote, but few held public office, as the gentry used their wealth and influence for political control. Middle class women ran self-sufficient households, and made their own clothes, candles, cheese and soap. Few were educated. (1727: Colonial America) Finally, there was the Lower Class, which consisted of day laborers, apprentices, sailors, servants, and slaves. (1727: Colonial America) Out of all of these, the lowest level was that of slaves, who at the time existed in all 13 colonies. However, more than 4/5 of them were in the South, due to the fact that the large plantations in the area required a greater number of slaves. Overall, slaves had hardly any rights, but more specifically, their quality of life varied on which of region of the country they lived in. In New England and the Middle Colonies,Show MoreRelatedSociology1681 Words   |  7 Pagesdivisions into class are meaningless. We are all working people now.†(Margaret Thatcher in 1988) The discussion that if Britain is becoming a classless society last for a long time. Britain was a typical manufacturing country because of industrial revolution in 18 century. Then the class structure of Britain was changed due to the globalization and economic system which chan ged from industrial to service during 19th and 20th century. In this easy, we focus on the change of social class in Britain. It willRead MoreSociology, Social Closure Essay (Higher)1585 Words   |  7 PagesAnalyse the extent to which social closure exists in UK society. Use two contrasting theories and relevant studies in your answer. 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