Good Comparison Of Political And Economic Rights Of The Working Class In 1780 And 1830 Essay Example

1780 is just after the Americans had fought free of British oppression and attained independence. The British navy had destroyed most of the American ships ending trade along the sea trade routes and it was suffering all around. But that was the case for the soldiers and the poor in the nation and the colonies. By 1687, in the state of Boston, the people ranked as the top one percent in terms of social class owned about 44 percent of wealth in the state. The poor were represented by about 14 percent and grew to about 29 percent in 1770. As if that was not enough suffering, the wealthy merchants introduced qualifications for someone to earn a voting right in the elections. The qualifications was all about property and was started so that they could protect their (the wealthy) privileges by disenfranchising the poor1.
In the state of Pennsylvania, it was a prerequisite for the white males to have at least fifty pounds of money earned legally for them to get voting rights. If not, they were to have at least fifty acres of land to earn the same. In the end, only eight percent of the population in the rural areas and two percent in the urban centers were able to vote. In this time period, the working classes were the only people in the country who were able to get political power and participate in the decision-making (elections) of the country. Slavery was also a major trade at this time period and was making loads of money for the rich. George Washington was the richest man at that time and had enslaved over 216 people.
1. Kornblith, Gary. "The Artisanal Response to Capitalist Transformation." Journal of the Early Republic 10, no. 3 (1990).
The industrial revolution occurred between 1760 and 1850. It also worked to improve the quality of life for the workers. The fight for human rights for the blacks and women led to increasing demands for political rights which threatened the privileges of the rich. At this period, two political parties had risen to the top of the politics despite Washington’s caution in 1780. The Democratic and Republican parties were two opposing sides in the American politics at this time. The evolution of these two parties led to formation of committees and conventions which led to reformation of women rights in 1830. The women by then dominated the teaching profession and continued working in public spaces.
2. Rediker, Marcus. "’Good Hands, Stout Heart and Fast Feet.’: The History and Culture of Working People in Early America,” Labour/Le Travailleur 10 (1982): 123-44.

Bibliography

Kornblith, Gary. "The Artisanal Response to Capitalist Transformation." Journal of the Early Republic 10, no. 3 (1990).
Rediker, Marcus. "’Good Hands, Stout Heart and Fast Feet.’: The History and Culture of Working People in Early America,” Labour/Le Travailleur 10 (1982): 123-44.