Bouregois Essay, Research Paper

Historians have described the nineteenth century as a century owned and operated by the bourgeois. They have described their influence as crucial to the development of the industrial revolution and the changing face of government. While this statement may be true, it does not completely encompass all of the classes that had an impact on that time period. Other classes such as the aristocrats, working class, and even the peasantry had significant impacts on the early and middle stages of the industrial revolution. Their monetary contributions as well as their significant impact on the employment of the era makes their impact undeniable. Not only were they crucial in the development of the revolution, it can be argued that the entire process might not have materialized. While there is no doubt that the bourgeois’s place in the nineteenth century was significant, the roles of other classes, especially the working class, has to be considered in order to fully understand the full impact of the industrial revolution.

The aristocrats proved to be a governmental stronghold in the nineteenth century. They held most important government positions and served in many high seats above other classes. The bourgeois looked up to the aristocrats and hoped to, one day, become as powerful, if not more powerful than them. Although the bourgeois was one class lower than the aristocrats, they liked to think of themselves as though they were part of the aristocrats and the elite classes. The aristocrats looked down on the bourgeois as though they were trying to imitate the highest ranking class in the social chain during the nineteenth century. Aristocrats held governmental positions such as kings and house of commons chairs. They were essential in decision making and in culminating their views of what their country’s next move would be in order to ensure a strong government and a strong, effectively run country. The bourgeois was ineffective in trying to become the aristocratic class. They acted as though they were elite, and ended up looking like they were pathetic imitations of the aristocrats and I assume the aristocrats didn’t tolerate this too well. The bourgeois, in my opinion, proved to be poor leaders that had one vision, to be exact replicas of the aristocratic class. The aristocrats also donated their funds in ways that the bourgeois class could not. The aristocrats basically funded the entire industrial revolution.

The industrial revolution meant enormous changes throughout Britain. This amazing, prosperous revolution was made possible by the aristocrats. The aristocrats selflessly donated their monetary funds to the building of factories. The bourgeois also helped by funding factories, but it was purely for the money. In my opinion, the aristocrats were more willing to give up their money for the sake of the well-being of the country. The other classes involved with the industrial revolution were the highly important working class and the peasants. The working class may have been the most important and predominant class in the nineteenth century. The industrial revolution would never have happened without the monetary funds from the aristocrats and the workers from the working class. They provided the country with millions of workers whether they be high skilled or totally unskilled. They were all willing to work and to pave the way for industrialization yet to come. These workers stepped off the farm and into city life without looking back all for the hope that they would work in a factory and make better wages to help support their families. The working class strived to achieve bourgeois status, working hard everyday. In this aspect, I feel that the bourgeois was effective in that, without knowing it, they were role models for the lower classes. Skilled workers came closer to achieving their desired status day by day, earning money by utilizing their skill. The working class helped the economy in Britain during the industrial revolution. By them going to work each day, they provided the country with goods that could be sold overseas. Thus, by 1850, Britain was the wealthiest country in the entire world. Aside from the fact that working conditions were very poor, the working class moved on in order to achieve their status of the bourgeois class.

Although the peasants were not the dominating class during the nineteenth century, they did still exist. Without the peasants, we must question whether or not the industrial revolution would have taken place. In my opinion, the peasants played an important role in providing food for the country. Without workers to stay on the farm and cultivate the land, the industrial revolution would not exist. Hard working people need food to survive, and they definitely don’t have time or money to develop the lands themselves.