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The economy and society of the Ancien Régime - Coggle Diagram
The economy and society of the Ancien Régime
The Ancien Régime's economy characteristics
the dominance of the guilds
These were associations of craftsmen in the same trade
regulated aspects
working hours
prices
wages
tools
domestic trade grew very little
due to
internal customs duties
the poor quality of the roads
foreign trade was expanding
due to
the discovery of America
he discovery of America
These developments
led to the establishment of large empires
the Spanish and Portuguese Empires
traditional agriculture with very low productivity
Agriculture was not commercial
people used outdated techniques and tools
people farmed to meet their own needs
During the 17th century
a new economic system
mercantilism
was based on the idea that a country's wealth depended on how much gold and silver it possessed
In order to accumulate more of these precious metals
monarchs implemented protectionist policies
They limited imports and encouraged exports by making foreign products very expensive
there was a serious economic crisis in Spain and in most parts of Europe
partly because American markets had stopped buying Spanish products
agriculture in these colonies becoming more self-sufficient
Spanish craftsmen could not compete with products made in other countries
because the monarch did not protect them
Prices in general increased
because so much gold and silver was brought to Europe from America
As a result of these problems
many farmlands were abandoned and craft production fell
The estates of the realm
continued to be the dominant form of social organisation in Europe during the Ancien Régime
Third Estate
the ordinary people
did not have any privileges
The First and Second Estates
the clergy and nobility
maintained their traditional privileges
The nobility and the clergy did not pay tax
They maintained their economic power by collecting tithes from the peasants
through the income they received from their lands
the lesser nobility and the lower clergy were often very poor
The Third Estate had to pay tax
differences between the various groups
The lower middle class or petite bourgeoisie
composed mostly of small merchants and craftsmen
declined because they could not compete with new forms of production
The peasantry and day labourers
suffered during the 17th century
rising prices
higher taxes
which they had to pay to the crown, nobility and clergy
poor harvests
The upper middle class or bourgeoisie
composed of prominent merchants and business owners
they became richer and more powerful as the European economy developed