Age of Empire 2

This week’s reading discusses the movement toward equality among the working class and establishment of democracy during the 19th and 20th century. During this time there were more and more workers for more and more industrialized jobs, and the workers started noticing that wealthy merchants were reaping the benefits of their hard labor. The workers decided to organize themselves through unions and organized labor. The proletariat group threatened the wealthy merchants and the political systems in place during the time. After that happened democracy was brought into the picture. Democracy was the happy median to satisfying everyone’s distaste to the current political system. Majority rules the democracy because that gives both sides to the story of wealthy verses poor.

Why did the masses become interested in politics during the 19th and 10th century and not 100 years ago? This is a great question. My own theory is: during this time the world was is in a great time of change and turmoil. WWI was happening, social problems were happening between the wealthy and the poor, and the economic turmoil was also a big part. All of this combine the laborers started to take notice and want better for themselves and family.

There were many working classes at that time, not as many as today, but there was still a latter to climb to get to the top. Each laborer had a job that defined their skill. The factories had hierarchies and your job is something that defines the amount of knowledge you have in that area. Also people, by nature, develop a hierarchy to try and get a better life for them and their children. Today there is an even more of a working class system. People who work in an office for example look down to the people that work on the machinery of a factory. There will always be a working class system in place in our world.