The Lives of the Aristocracy and Peasantry During the Eighteenth Century (Essay Sample)

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The Lives of the Aristocracy and Peasantry During the Eighteenth Century
The presence of aristocratic societies in Europe and other parts of the world impacted land and property ownership rights in the eighteenth century. Nobles and their descendants had the right to own large tracks of land, whereas peasants were only allowed to own small parcels of land. Previous studies have indicated that nearly 67 per cent of Europe’s population lived in stratified societies in the eighteenth century (Blum 395). Additionally, the communities’ customs and traditions formed part of the laws that governed the state. Peasants were oppressed by the nobles who mistreated them and forced them to provide cheap labor for their farms. Based on the above arguments, it is clear that aristocrats and peasants led a different lifestyle from each other in the eighteenth century.
Familial ties were the determinant factor about which class each individual would belong in the society. Land and property ownership rights were transmitted from one generation to the next since descendants of the aristocrats automatically became nobles (Lukowski 5). Peasants and their children provided cheap labor for the farmlands owned by the aristocrats who enjoyed a privileged position in society (Sée 20). Additionally, state laws limited the number of acres each peasant family could own since the ruling class regarded them as unintelligent creatures incapable of managing farms. Such laws were implemented to prevent commoners from amassing substantial