1. Who were the gentry in Britain?
The gentry in England were middle class men who joined up to the British socially elite by means of owning landed estates. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the numbers of these gentry families totalled around 4000.
2. Who were the hoberaux and the hidalgos?
The hoberaux, from France, and the hidalgos, from Spain, served practically the same social function. These were people who genealogically came from peasant backgrounds who were able to climb the social ladder into nobility. In order to maintain the title of nobility, they were quite impoverished with a lack of "old money", and could do no manual labour to alleviate financial burden.
3. Explain the "seigneurial justice" that many free peasants were subject to.
The seigneurial justice system provided nobility financial protection from peasants who took loans from nobles. However, in return, the peasants were often legally bound to enormous and unbearable amounts of debt. The peasant injustice was worse in Eastern Europe where conditions often resembled that of a slave.
4. Which factors contributed to the beginnings of the industrial revolution?
There were numerous factors that contributed to the Industrial Revolution, most of which Merriman outlines in detail in this chapter. Most significantly are the technological progressions in not only mechanics for the use of industrial hardware, but also agriculture. This triggered a flood of production which required an increase in production. Also, population growth required not only an increase in production and product, but also a increase in job availability. International trade also significantly contributed to supply needs.
5. What were some of the reasons for population growth in Europe during the 18th century?
Historians attribute the steady and rapid increase in food production through agricultural success to the "demographic revolution". Others add that a decrease in the spread of plague due to medical research may also be a plausible cause.
6. What was the 18th century "consumer revolution"?
The Industrial Revolution surely would not have been as impactful without the rise of consumerism in Europe and its colonies. Before the rise of industry, consumerism was dependent on the domestic function of the individual. Now, class and financial barriers disintegrated from a world of mass produced goods.
7. Explain the tensions between the old noble families and the newly instated ones in France, Denmark, and Sweden.
While the new ennobled were empowered financially, the old nobles still maintained bureaucratic power over the Church and the army. The struggle of these tensions lead to years of awkward "teeter-tottering" among the nobility.
8.Summarise the changing condition of the poor in 18th century Europe.
The push for the protection of private property in 18th century Britain alleviated stress on the poor who owed large amounts of debt. Also, poverty outreach became increasingly popular as a means of societal progression. All across Europe, poorhouses and parishes popped up in an effort to aid the poor in Europe.
9. What methods were used to protect private property in 18th century Britain?
Due to the rise in the wealthy nobles' ability to elect parliament members, fifty laws were unquestionably posed in the defense of private property. The Marriage Act of 1753 demonstrates parliaments desire to protect the nobility's inherited wealth and keep classes segregated.
10. Why might the 18th century be described as a "century of contrasts"?
Merriman calls the 18th century one of contrasts due to the amount of monumental shifts and degrees of polarity expressed during this time. While the nobility lived lavish lifestyles, the poor were enslaved to the attempt of their own survival. The Industrial Revolution innovated European economics, yet it was only sufficient to support its growing population. Social lines were erased, marked and corrected, and redrawn, completely ripped the fabric of European societal norms. The complexities in inter-European politics only were complicated with the introduction of colonial plants and eventually rebellions.
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