AUGUSTAN SOCIETY

18th century

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The 18th century in Britain was a time of great change. It is called the Augustan Age because it was seen as a golden age, similar to the time of Emperor Augustus in Ancient Rome. This period was important in the making of modern Britain, with developments in politics, economy, society, and culture.

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AUGUSTAN SOCIETY

Society and Social Classes

The population grew from 5 million in 1700 to 9 million in 1800. Social mobility improved, and the middle class expanded. The upper class was no longer only aristocratic; it also included rich merchants, businessmen, and factory owners. These wealthy men bought land to gain prestige and to marry into the aristocracy

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ROBERT WALPOLE

The economy grew thanks to trade, factories, and mines. The middle class supported the Whigs, like Robert Walpole, because they encouraged business and trade.

Politics was controlled by the rich, and elections were influenced by money. Politicians did not try to win votes but bribed people with money or jobs.

Politics and Economy

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Cities became overcrowded and unhealthy. Diseases like smallpox, typhus, and scurvy affected poor people. In London, 51% of children died before the age of 5. Poor children started working as apprentices at the age of 7. Poor adults were sent to workhouses, where they worked for food and shelter. Unemployment led to more alcoholism and crime. Gin was a serious problem: in 1750, one in four houses in St Giles, London, sold gin illegally

Poverty and Social Problems

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Joseph Addison

Money in the augustan age

John Locke

The Augustan Age valued politeness, moderation, and rationality. It was a materialistic society, focused on money and pleasure. However, its institutions were still hierarchical, hereditary, and privileged. Enlightenment thinkers, like John Locke and Joseph Addison, believed in individual freedom and rejected Puritan pessimism, like the idea of original sin. They believed in progress and human goodness

Culture and Ideas of the Age

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The View of Nature

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Reason and common sense were important for human progress.

Augustans loved order, balance, and beauty in art and life. They believed nature was rational and organized, following God’s plan.

For them, nature was not only trees and rivers but also human nature and the universe.

Conclusion

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The 18th century was a time of great change. The economy and society developed, but there was also poverty and injustice. However, the ideas of this period helped prepare Britain for the Industrial Revolution and the modern world.

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The middle classw as divided into: Upper middle class: professionals and merchants. Lower middle class : artisans, shopkeepers, and tradesmen, who worked long hours for low wages. The poor lived in terrible conditions and had no political rights. The Enclosure System took land away from many farmers, forcing them to move to cities to find jobs.