Social class in American history
Hey kiddo! So, in America, people have different levels of money, education, jobs, and ways of living. We call these levels "social classes".
One of the first social classes was way back in colonial times, when there were rich plantation owners who owned slaves and had a lot of power, and then poorer farmers and workers who didn't have as much.
Later on, during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, there were wealthy factory owners and investors who became really rich because of new technologies, while the people who worked in the factories and mines didn't make as much and had harder lives.
Over time, different social classes formed based on factors like race, gender, and education. People who went to college and got professional jobs like doctors and lawyers were considered higher up than people who worked in factories or farms. And unfortunately, people who were not white or male often faced more barriers to moving up the social ladder.
Today, we still have social classes in America, and they can impact things like what kind of education you get, what kind of job you have, and how much money you make. But we also have laws and programs designed to help people move up and have opportunities no matter what class they were born into.
One of the first social classes was way back in colonial times, when there were rich plantation owners who owned slaves and had a lot of power, and then poorer farmers and workers who didn't have as much.
Later on, during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, there were wealthy factory owners and investors who became really rich because of new technologies, while the people who worked in the factories and mines didn't make as much and had harder lives.
Over time, different social classes formed based on factors like race, gender, and education. People who went to college and got professional jobs like doctors and lawyers were considered higher up than people who worked in factories or farms. And unfortunately, people who were not white or male often faced more barriers to moving up the social ladder.
Today, we still have social classes in America, and they can impact things like what kind of education you get, what kind of job you have, and how much money you make. But we also have laws and programs designed to help people move up and have opportunities no matter what class they were born into.