Class in the 17th & 18 Centuries/ Class Structure and Mobility in America

Primary source: Feke, R. (1741). Royall Family. [Painting]. Retrieved from

http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/royall-family//

It is almost impossible to switch class in the 17th & 18 Centuries, the economy was half defined, human
evolution was still suffering from the glitch of religious sentiments. Wealth can only be built solely on
tangible asset, nothing like creativity, no ideas and intelligence, all there was seems to be lands,
agriculture, distilleries, shipyards, lumberyards, and ropewalks. Unlike racism, the social engagement
defines individual class.

Although, there has not been actual restriction to class by definable object, privileges might pose as one
good restriction, it is good to also note that privileges can take new forms and exchange hands, take an
individual who discover gold mine on their piece of land where they only farm for subsistence, they can
switch class automatically as they also have something to trade. Privileges however as the main key in
class tabulation, it could also be subjected to individual choices. There is absolutely free entry to
different level of classes as it causes may take a natural form, thus, individual status could be blamed on
some unseen forces thus make class an off shelves topic.

The painting in the primary source, show at the time, there was no better way a man could portrait
himself and family as privileged, than to show off with the most expensive silk, furnitures and embodied
the ideal of refinement and gentility as described in "Social classes in the colonies, Boundless US
history.". There was hardly currency at the time, that someone may think of winning a lottery to jump
classes, it then becomes fundamental for individual to take prestige in their family names and enjoy such
privileges that may be profered as the name mentioned, and thus must also be in outfit that properly
portraits the name. Even in this modern world, pictures continue to maintain it place as a perfect
channel to communicate impressions, it allows people to portrait themself as the face of community, as
the silks and other gadget are products of the seas and not locally made.

However, Class will continue to be an undebatable topic, not because it has been stripped from popular
cultures, but because the privileged do not directly put us in the class we are, our parents did and so it
their parents.

Sources.

Mantsios, G. (2006). Class in America. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, class, and gender in the United
States: an integrated study.

Social classes in the colonies. Boundless US history. Retrieved from

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/social-class-in-the-colonies/.

http://www.americanyawp.com/text/04-colonial-
society/#II_Consumption_and_Trade_in_the_British_Atlantic

http://www.americanyawp.com/text/06-a-new-nation/#II_Shays_Rebellion

http://www.americanyawp.com/text/06-a-new-nation/#VI_Hamiltons_Financial_System

http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/royall-family/

These notes allowed individuals to deposit a certain amount of tobacco in a warehouse and receive a
note bearing the value of the deposit that could be traded as money. In 1690, colonial Massachusetts
became the first place in the Western world to issue paper bills to be used as money.2 These notes,
called bills of credit, were issued for finite periods of time on the colony’s credit and varied in
denomination.

http://www.americanyawp.com/text/04-colonial-
society/#II_Consumption_and_Trade_in_the_British_Atlantic

While some Americans, like Thomas Jefferson, thought “a little rebellion now and then” helped keep the
country free,