Rise of the Middle Class

Today, the middle class is a distinct socioeconomic group. However, as recently as the 19th century, there was no middle class in America. There were only two distinctions: the impoverished lower class and the extremely wealthy upper class. With industrialization and the expansion of the labor market, the middle class began to rise and made lasting impacts on society.

The Rise of the Middle Class Overview

Let's take a look at the overview of the rise of the middle class in the Gilded Age first:

• Gilded Age was a period in American history from the 1870s to the turn of the 20th century, characterized by economic growth, industrialization, and technological innovations.

• Middle Class is a social class consisting of individuals who occupy a socioeconomic status between the working class and the upper class, typically characterized by a high level of education, income, and occupation.

• The primary factors that contributed to the rise of the middle class were economic growth, access to higher education, and technological advances.

• The expansion of the middle class had significant impacts on American culture and history. It reshaped consumer culture, leisure activity and city landscape through creation and expansion of suburbia.

The Rise of the Middle Class: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth in the United Stated from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Industry leaders created new positions to keep up with the expansion. Managers, secretaries, and accountants became essential parts of the operation, and society saw these positions as professional jobs, distinct from the factory and slaughterhouse-type work of the lower class. Employers reinforced this distinction by paying their professional employees far better and treating them with much more respect.

The Rise of the Middle Class: Meaning

The middle class developed as the central ground between the extreme poverty of the working poor and the extreme wealth of the upper class. Professional workers had disposable income that the working poor could only wish to have, but professional workers had nothing compared to industry leaders. The middle class often invested in higher education as a means of bettering their and their children’s lives. In this way, education and opportunities became multigenerational, and the middle class proved it was there to stay.

In the Gilded Age, the middle class was defined as those who were able to afford a comfortable standard of living, including a home in the suburbs, consumer goods, and leisure activities.

The Rise of the Middle Class: Causes

The causes of the rise of the middle class in the Gilded Age include:

• Rapid economic growth: This was the primary driving force behind the rise of the middle class, as it created new job opportunities for both blue-collar and white-collar workers, as well as business owners.
• Access to higher education: The increasing availability of higher education provided a new generation of skilled and educated workers, who were trained in running factories and businesses and therefore, better positioned to take advantage of the economic growth.
• Technological Advances: The development of new technologies such as the telephone, railroads, and steamships improved communication and transportation, thus facilitating economic growth and increasing job opportunities.
• Government Policies: The government's support through policies, regulations and other measures helped create a favorable environment for the growth of the middle class

The Rise of the Middle Class: Characteristics of the Middle Class

When we discussed the growth of industries, we covered managers, secretaries, and accountants but the middle class was also composed of:

• Doctors

• Lawyers

• Government employees

• Shopkeepers

• Artisans

So, now that we know what they did for a living, what were the characteristics of this new middle class? They had access to education and money, and as such, a better standard of living. For example, they had a longer life expectancy and lower infant mortality rate than the working poor. They also had time for leisure activities as they were not spending every waking moment at a factory. Many families even became employers themselves and hired maids, cooks, and coachmen.

Although the term American Dream had not been coined yet, the middle class was certainly chasing it. They believed that hard work and discipline led to financial success, and that one day, they too could be a part of the elite, upper class. Appearances were very important to the middle class, as they aimed to emulate the elite and show off their wealth and status. As we noted above, the role of the middle-class wife was to keep the house, and they made sure to keep it clean and full of status symbols, such as fine China and expensive furniture.

It is important to remember that members of the middle class were almost universally white, Protestant, and born in the United States. People of color and immigrants faced discrimination and generally found themselves forced into low-paying, non-professional jobs with no hope of rising in socioeconomic status.

Impacts of the Rise of the Middle Class

The rise of the middle class had lasting impacts on American society and culture. The main factor that contributed to the changes was, of course, higher disposable income which allowed middle-class families to change their habits and environment. Key areas impacted by the rise of the middle class include:

• Consumer culture
• Leisure activities
• Living conditions - growth of suburbia

Let's take a look at them in more detail.

Impacts of the Rise of the Middle Class: Consumer Culture

As we noted earlier, a distinguishing factor of the middle class was their disposable income. They could afford to buy goods that were once considered luxuries, and consumer culture truly exploded. Middle class women no longer had to sew clothes by hand and could simply go to one of the newly created department stores. If the department stores were too far away, mail-order catalogs offered a wide variety of goods that would simply show up on the doorstep.

Fig. 2 - advertisement for a dishwasher

Outside of splurging on goods, middle-class families spent a good deal of money on leisure activities, including:

• Vaudeville shows

• Amusement parks

• Circuses

• Sporting events

• Concerts

• Dances

Fig. 3 - Vaudeville show poster

Impacts of the Rise of the Middle Class: The Growth of Suburbia

Before industrialization, cities had been relatively small, with only a few pockets of poverty. As industrialization took hold, however, these pockets of poverty grew in size. Cities became overcrowded and plagued by crime and disease. While the working class was stuck living in tenement houses in the slums, the middle class could afford to relocate. This prompted the growth of suburbia, where walking no longer cut it and modes of transportation were necessary.

Fig. 4 - a suburban neighborhood