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Social Classes(how it is determined)  A person's place in society was usually related to their occupation and financial situation and was usually displayed through their houses, dress, and material possessions. Social position even determined a gentlemen's class standing at Harvard College. Social forms of address were an important arbiter of one's standing, as well.

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Slavery In the 18th-century south landownership was coupled with the ownership of slaves, another key source of wealth once the system of slavery became legalized. The majority of white southerners could not afford the slave labor necessary for the operation of a large plantation; therefore greater disparity between the rich and the poor existed in the southern colonies. Slavery provided the answer to the southern labor problem, but also raised a number of social issues, which changed social relations among whites themselves as well as between the races. https://www.loc.gov/resource/lcrbmrp.t1213/?sp=4

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With America becoming a country built of "equal chance and equality" social classes had to be redefined. Classes weren't "fixed". You could move social classes. If you were born poor you have the chance to become rich. You just have to work hard.

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The upper class was made up of rich individuals. This includes those in politics, high-powered landowners, and leadership positions. These individuals had a greater influence on and voice over what occurred in the nation. Back then they would have been worth around 1 million dollars.

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They were educated workers. Mostly merchants, professionals, educators, artisans, tradesmen, and intellectuals. Some of these people fall near the upper class but their yearly income in less. People like lawyers and doctors of these times would fall under the middle class. Most of these people would live in New England Cities.

Primary source: Social attitudes during Early National Period
"the middle class was well-established"

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During this era the people of the United States wanted some kind of set system. This brought up the topic of social classes and where everyone would fit in partially influenced by the French. The three classes were upper, middle, and lower class.

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The upper class was the class of wealthy people. This includes people like leaders/officials, wealthy land owners, and politics. These people had an impact/ more of a voice in what happened in the country.

Primary Source:
https://guides.loc.gov/pacific-railway-act

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The middle classes were exactly what you would think. It was full of average people life farmers and people who had some money but not an abundance. This class separated the slaves/ workers form the Farm owners.

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Genders role in society  gender also determined such things as where one sat in church, the severity and type of punishment one faced for crimes, and one's access to education. Men were seen as higher and women and children were seen as lesser in society. Women had fewer rights than they do today. Regardless of the colony in which they lived, white women in colonial America had many responsibilities. They oversaw managing the household, including baking, sewing, educating the children, producing soap and candles, and more. In the 18th century, social classes began evolving, and a new “middling” class arose. Sometimes women in that class would help their husbands in their careers as tavern owners, tradesmen, or businessmen. However, white women still had few rights.

Primary sources: https://www.lgbtqhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Early_Colonial_Gender_Roles_grade_5.pptx_1.pdf

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Upper class Those at the top level of colonial society included the large landowners, wealthy merchants, governors, and other royal officials. The colonial elite frequently complained that the middle and lower classes were not showing the proper deference through their dress and attitudes. They felt that skilled workers, for example, were demanding higher wages than they were due. Also as material goods became more varied, available, and affordable, the middle and lower classes could copy trends that appeared first among the urban elite and the wealthy. Even though they were seen as higher they still made sure that there was no chance that the people lower than them had a chance of gaining close to as much power that they had.

Primary sources "The major economic routes to the upper class often combined with political forces."
https://online.infobase.com/HRC/LearningCenter/Details/2?articleId=396919&lcid=1

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Middle class The middle and lower classes were expected to show deference to their social superiors.The middle class was made up of farmers and artisans (skilled crafts- people). These were people who owned their own land or businesses. Many had enough property to qualify to vote. The middle class worked at skilled jobs. A skilled job was being a teacher or craftsman. Craftsmen could make things others couldn't, like shoes and wagon wheels. The women in the middle class also worked hard. They would make their own cloth, candles, and cheese. The women sold the extras to make more money for their families. This class was the biggest in Colonial America. Almost 75% of the people belonged to the middle class. The men in this class could also vote. The people in the middle class did well. Their jobs were very important. People wanted the products they made.

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Lower class The lowest class was the poor. The poor were unskilled laborers, indentured servants, or slaves. Indentured servants were people who could not afford to pay for their trip. Another person would pay for the trip. The indentured servant would work for that person from four to seven years. This would pay for the cost of the trip. Very few of the poor owned any property. Most of them could not read, write, or vote. They would move around a lot in order to find work. These people had to work very hard to survive in Colonial America.

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The lower class was built of slaves, indentured servants, and serfs. With little to no pay, their average income is 0. One of the biggest issues discussed during the early national period.

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Since America was created women had fewer rights than men.  Even though the constitution said that "everyone was equal" women still did not have the right to vote or sometimes work. As America progressed so did the call for Women's rights. An abolition movement grew in force during the early 19th century. This served as a way for women to express political opinions.

Primary source: https://www.womenshistory.org/exhibits/timeline-womens-rights-early-republic
"AN APPEAL FOR GENDER EQUALITY"

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Especially during the early national period, slavery was called into question. The constitution said that "everyone was created equal" yet slavery persisted. America was one of the few countries left that still used the system of slavery. Slavery was the main reason for the dispute between the North and South that led to the Civil War.

Primary source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States "Slavery was established throughout European colonization in the Americas."

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Things like Manifest destiny and nationalism led to expansion, especially in Western Territory. The need for farming land, slave states, and land given to us by France. They also believed that God told them to expand. As America keeps expanding new technologies come forth.

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The lower class was a class of people who were at the bottom of society. This included people with no money like slaves, workers, and homeless/impoverished people. This excluded women because of their big role they played in the Civil War.

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Gender Privilege was a big thing at this time. This is when women finally began to take a bigger part in the United States. During the war women played a big part in it. This led to the better treatment and more fair thinking for women's rights.

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Slavery was the reason this era occurred. The reason is because of all the western states being added there was an imbalance of slave states and free states. So, the was disputed the conflict and slavery was abolished. However, this does not mean that racism ended.

Primary Source: https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/lincoln2nd.html

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People started to expand more westward. With the still new land in the west people started to migrate that way for more opportunities. This also caused tensions between the people that were already in the land and the people moving into the land.

Primary Source: https://guides.loc.gov/14th-amendment

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Expansion Growing population pressures and westward expansion fueled conflicts with the Native Americans. Westward migration resulted in the rise of a new western elite in many colonies, and growing instances of conflict between the established, older eastern elite and their newer, western counterparts.The possibility of starting over and gaining access to material wealth in the form of land was the constant promise of American society. They wanted to always start over and this caused conflict and disputes when they wanted to expand.

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Most change Colonial-civil war (Slavery)

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Most change Colonial-civil war (Slavery)

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By far our sub-topic that experienced the most change is slavery. Slavery in colonial times was a natural thing that almost every wealthy person did. The North slowly grew into a more manufacturing area while the south stayed agricultural. However, once America gained its independence it had to form its country's ideals, and the issue of slavery started being brought up. The North started feeling like slavery wasn't written under the statement given in the declaration of independence that "all men are created equal". Eventually, over time the north and the south began to resent one another and they went to war over slavery. The War ended with the abolishment of slavery in the U.S. People like John Brown, Dred Scott, Harriott Tubman, and Abraham Lincoln were the primary reasons for these results.

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Although slavery did change a lot, Women's rights is probably a runner up in that they gained so many rights over time. Over time with the wars they relied on women to help out and they did. Then they kept pushing for more rights since there were so many women helping out and becoming a big part of society they had no choice but to give them more rights as it time went on.

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By far the sub topic that had the least change was in the class system. While people could move social classes the definition for those classes stayed the same. It honestly comes down to the process of elimination. Slavery was made illegal, women gained rights, and the country massively expanded west.