Class+System

1. Class System in American Revolution 2. **What I already know:** Class Systems impacted the American Revolution by seperating people for stupid reasons. 3. **What I want to know (research questions)?** Did the American Revolution impact peoples class titles because so much money was lost during the war? 4. **My research strategy: Who?-** I'll ask Ms. Horn and Ms. Brem for help in locating information. I could ask Ms. Brolan or Mr. D. I could ask the public librarian.
 * Who?-** Men, women, and children.
 * What?-** A system that seperates people with money and people without money.
 * Where?-** In the 13 colonies in North America.
 * When?-** In the late 1700s.
 * Why?-** Class Systems were always around seperating people because of race, culture, religion, and financial status.
 * How?-** They seperated people for a varitey of reasons
 * How did this impact the American Revolution, or how did the American Revolution affect this?**
 * Who?-** Who were the families at the head of each status level?
 * What?-** What were the differences in the classes?
 * Where?-** Where were they created?
 * When?-** When were class systems first created?
 * How?-** How were the status levels named?
 * What?-** Expert websites, databases, encyclopedias, books, textbook.
 * When?-** During class or outside of class if needed.
 * Where?-** The CTMS and public library, on an other computer for onlie resources.
 * How?-** I'll use my thesis statement and research questions to figure out what to look for and what to take notes on.
 * Key words for searching:** "class system", "class systems", "class systems during American Revolution"and other variations of this.

DRAFT

The American Revolution influnced the Class System by causing people to go down in their class because of hard economic times. The American Revolution effected the Class Systems dramatically. Some people got jobs others went into poverty.

Second Paragraph-People were expected to know their place in society. Simple folk never looked gentle folk in the eye. The difference between rich and poor was vast. Masoff, Joy. American Revolution, 1700-1800. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print. This was harsh treatment. It makes the rich people look superior to the poor. Marx is in fact one of the first to describe such a system, but does not go a long way toward defining what the classes are except to note there are two principal classes: owners and workers. In the class system, people are set apart by what they do for a living and how they do it. Anderson, Richard H. "A: Basic Concepts." Topic 4a: Basic Concepts in Social Stratification. the Department of Sociology and the University of Colorado at Denver, Winter 1996. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. Two principles of the basic class system, owners and workers. Third Paragraph-For example if a person works primarily with the hands at some form of skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled work, one is in the working class (regardless of income). If the work a person does depends more upon the use of the mind or clerical skills, then the person doing that work is considered to be middle class (again independent of income). People who do not have a regular, steady occupation or one that is 'recognized' as legitimate are seen to be part of the lower class or possibly an underclass. Finally, if a person does no productive work but instead commands others to work or relies upon an inheritance or income from investments, than the person is considered upper class. Anderson, Richard H. "A: Basic Concepts." Topic 4a: Basic Concepts in Social Stratification. the Department of Sociology and the University of Colorado at Denver, Winter 1996. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. This is basically the definition to what a working class person is. There are lower classes and upper classes in a certain class. Your lower class if you don't have steady work and aren't "recognized." You are upper class if you don't do much work but instead you direct people to do stuff.

By the middle of the 1700s, some people in America had grown rich. Rich people were referred to as "gentle" folk, drove around in grand carriages, and lived in huge mansions. Masoff, Joy. American Revolution, 1700-1800. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print. This way of materialism is now used today and I didn't know it was practiced back then. Most, however, were the "middling sort." Others were dirt-poor and called "simple" folk. Masoff, Joy. American Revolution, 1700-1800. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print. We still use some of these names today, however, it is not as common. Fourth Paragraph-A society with a class system may be either open or closed. If an individual's place is fixed by birth and cannot be changed, it is closed. If movement from one level to another is possible, it is an open-class society. minority groups:: Class Systems." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. This explains that in some class systems whatever class your born into is the one you stay in, closed society, and if there is a possibility of moving to another class it is considered open. Societies have traditionally organized themselves into strataâ€” 098300.hookclasses or 098301.hookcastesâ€”with those who hold power at the top and those who do the work to support society at the bottom. The classes are set off from each other by rules of behavior or economic and political function. The under classes may be considered to have a minority status because of their subjugation to the upper classes. minority groups:: Class Systems." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Explains where the classes started and what is expected of each class. Fifth Paragraph-The principal distinction between a cast and estate system has to do with the part played by religion in the separation of groups. Both caste and estate systems were based in agriculture and the ownership of property. However, the caste system made distinctions among groups of people in terms of their standing sanctioned by religion. Anderson, Richard H. "A: Basic Concepts." Topic 4a: Basic Concepts in Social Stratification. the Department of Sociology and the University of Colorado at Denver, Winter 1996. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. The difference between a cast and an estate system. The principles of each and how estate involves religion and ownership of property. Where a cast system involves just ownership of property. But in America, with hard work, and a skill, a middling person // could // become a "gentle" person. Being born poor did not sentence you to a life with no hope of ever doing better, as it did in most of Europe. And // that // made America special. Masoff, Joy. American Revolution, 1700-1800. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print. This is important to know. The people at least had hope that they could become // better // in a way. It makes America special and shows we really are the best country out there even when we were fighting for our independence.

Sixth Paragraph-Thus we find managers, professionals (doctors, lawyers, clergy) placed together in a similar class. People who earn their living by using their hands are defined as working class -- carpenters, plumbers, truck drivers, loggers, mechanics, assembly line workers and so on. Between these two groups (managers and workers) is a large group of lower white collar workers -- clerks, sales people, teachers, draftsmen, computer technicians and so on. At the very bottom of the class system are those with no skills and no steady employment or employment outside the 'legitimate' economic system -- day laborers, drug dealers, prostitutes, petty thieves and other criminals. This group also often is seen to include the mentally disabled and mentally ill since they lack the necessary skills or ability for long term, continuous employment. Finally, there is the upper class, the individuals at the very top who control the means of production in the society and who make the rules. Anderson, Richard H. "A: Basic Concepts." Topic 4a: Basic Concepts in Social Stratification. the Department of Sociology and the University of Colorado at Denver, Winter 1996. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. Working class- carpenters, plumbers, truck drivers, loggers, mechanics, assembly line workers and so on. lower white collar workers-clerks, sales people, teachers, draftsmen, computer technicians and so on. legitimate economic class- day laborers, drug dealers, prostitutes, petty thieves and other criminals. This group often holds the mentally disabled, and the mentally ill since they lack the abilities to do stuff. upper class- the individuals at the very top who control the means of production in the society and who make the rules.

code code Works Cited code "The American Revolution." //The American Revolution//. N.p., Spring 2008. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. code code . code code Anderson, Richard H. "A: Basic Concepts." //Topic 4a: Basic Concepts in Social Straification//. the code code Department of Sociology and the University of Colorado at Denver, Winter 1996. Web. 8 Apr. code code 2010. . code code "Consumerism and People." //NIAHD Journals//. N.p., 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2010. . code code Masoff, Joy. //American Revolution, 1700-1800//. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print. code code "minority groups:: Class Systems." //Encyclopaedia Britannica Online//. © 2010 Encyclopædia Britannica, code code Inc., 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. . code