Separation by Class (ME) Eric Herber

            In the 1890s, large and growing cities were very distinctively separated into different social classes. The different types of classes were the upper class, the middle class, and the working class. All of these social classes lived differently from each other and were separated by boundaries that can even be seen in today’s society.

Upper Class

            The upper class tended to live very well compared to the rest of the classes in the late nineteenth century. They often could purchase houses that would be compared to castles or mansions with several rooms and luxuries. Since the living quarters were so large, the need for servants continuously increased at that time. Some of the upper class citizens hired many servants such as cooks, butlers, maids, coachmen, nannies, and chauffeurs to tend to all of the chores around the house. At the turn of the century, the upper class lived a very easy and luxurious life.

Middle Class

            The middle class had a fairly easy life when it came to living in the nineteenth century. Many of the middle class families could afford their own homes without the woman having to work. Usually the man of the house would pay all of the bills while the wife and the children enjoyed living in a home by themselves. In fact, some middle class families were wealthy enough to afford one servant and could even buy simple luxuries of that time period. Many of the middle class families tended to move out of cities into suburbs in order to escape the pollution and crime of the city life. The middle class may not have had it as well off as the upper class, but they still lived a comfortable life in the 1890s.

Working Class

            The working class of the late nineteenth century did not have an easy life in big cities. The working class often needed the whole family to work in order to maintain a simple life, unlike the upper and middle class. The working class did not have servants or luxuries. The man, woman, and sometimes even the children of the house had to work long hours to support the family. The woman and children often worked in clothing factories where they worked long hours for very little pay. This social class did not live in homes that they owned, but instead lived in multi-family apartments called tenements. They lived in these dark, dirty apartments with three or four other families at some times. The living conditions in the tenements were so bad that many of the working class would be sick or could even die from diseases found in the apartments. When it came to living at the turn of the century, nobody had it worse off than the working class.