return to the bibliography page of this project There were internal divisions within the middle class which should be made clear.
Attributes of the lower-half of the middle class:
Jobs were a single-person enterprise.
Wives would help in business, or they would have their own
skill.
Family labor was the main source of labor.
Farms were generally 50 to 300 acres large.
Real property was left for ones relatives after
death.
Investments were made in ones homes and buildings.
Limited credit was extended to members of this group. Loans were short-term, and usually
acquired from friends or family.
Men were educated at a small private day school or a free grammar school.
Members of this class were either
Methodist, Baptist, or Anglican.
Their political affiliation was either Tory, Radical, or Non-Political.
They lived in either the city or a center.
Social circles were confined to local spheres.
Attributes of the upper-half of the middle class:
Jobs stemmed from business partnerships. or financial security came from trusts.
They would
employ a work force, as opposed to being a part of one.
Wives spent all of their time in the home.
Their farms were over 300 acres large.
At
death, instead of leaving actual property, they would leave it in trust for a dependent.
Instead of investing in their own responsibilities, they would
invest in government securities or land.
They would acquire loans for long periods of time, and they would be from local or London banks.
The men
would have been educated at a private academy, or a fee paid grammar school.
The religions they would have practiced were from Quaker, Unitarianism,
Congregationalism, or Anglican sects.
The proper political affiliation would have been either Tory or Whig, depending on their interests.
They would
have lived in a middle-class enclave, a city center, or a suburb.
return to the bibliography page of this project
Thank you for visiting. If you would like to send me an email with questions or concerns about the page, my address is mclainjl@miavx1.muohio.edu