European Economy, Society, and Culture by 1750

Certain cultural factors that drew them apart, are religion, diet, and home. Religion-wise, the elite began to adopt new skeptical ideas. Some people, like Frederick the Great, were even anti-religious altogether. These new skeptical ideas, caused them to become less devout. The masses, on the other hand, actually became more devout. This is a great factor that drew the parties apart. One can imagine that the elite would find the masses silly for living their lives off of religion. The diet differences, were truly great. The masses still ate like they had in the Middle Ages. The only difference was that they ate more bread, and rejoiced in the introduction of the potato, which increased their life spans; meat was still rare. The elite, on the other hand, had access to meat, dairy products, and the greatly desired new imports of coffee, sugar, and chocolate. In the matters of drink, the masses drank lots of beer, wine, and gin, especially in Britain. The masses were known for getting drunk. A drawing of 1750 by William Hogarth titled “Gin Lane”, demonstrates what trouble the masses got into because of alcohol. The elite, on the other hand, along with these drinks, also had coffee and tea. Drunkenness among the rich was going out of fashion in the 18th century. Thus, diets also widened the gap. One can imagine that the masses would be jealous of all the foods and drinks they couldn’t obtain. And at last, homes, were another cultural element that farther separated the masses from the elite. The masses lived in basic homes, only suitable enough for shelter. They either lived in crowded buildings or shabby cabins, with no glass in their windows. The elite, on the other hand, developed a new fashion for homes, based on glamour and comfort. Not only did they have glass windows, but they had mirrors and chandeliers, and, on the basis of comfort, armchairs and much more to go along with them. Once again, one can only imagine the jealousy the masses must have felt. Certainly, this jealousy must have drawn them apart. Thus, religion, diet, and homes drew the masses and the elite apart, culturally.

Finally, and most obviously of all, the parties were drawn apart economically. The elite had capital, and could invest it. The masses on the other hand, being poor, had none, and thus had to work for the elite. This could have sowed another patch of jealousy into the growing gap between the parties. Meanwhile, around this time, modern industrialization was developed, bringing about the development of large factories. All know of the horrible conditions workers faced in these factories. The low wages atop of it, did not help the cause. This brings about yet another reason for jealousy. Another, is the fact that the masses were burdened with more taxes than they could handle. Many historians, have thus developed the idea that the poor were worse off in the 18th century. In France, this jealousy and bitterness piled on each other, led to what is known as The Great Cat Massacre of the 18th century. There, the masses could take it no longer when they observed that their masters, the elite, took better care of their cats, and fed them better, than they did the masses. Infuriated, one night they killed the cats of the elite, in a form of social protest. One can observe, that the masses stuck together, in not letting anyone know of individual crime. This better supports the fact that the two parties were drawing apart. They were drawing apart so much, in fact, that they seemed to have found themselves in a sort of social war. In the end, however, the elite were richer than the masses. That is how they differed and continued to differ, economically.

By 1750, the elite and the masses were drawing apart greatly. Many factors can answer to this occurrence. Socially, the elite were simply in better positions. Culturally, they had better material to gain these positions. Economically, the fact that they were simply richer, bought them these positions. Hence, in social, cultural, and economic ways, the elite and popular cultures in western Europe, were drawing apart by 1750.