During The Renaissance, there was a social hierarchy system in which members of the society were divided into 4 major classes or groups and each group had its own responsibilities, functions and respect in the society.
The four major clases were: Nobles, the most respected one. Nobles owned most of the land. They lived on large states and were wealthy. The also owned big businesses. This category comprised military officers, politicians and royal advisers.
Merchants : The merchants were the newly rich people who gained wealth by working hard in the industries and mainly worked in fields like wool, banking and boat making and the like.
The Middle Class: The middle class was made up of of the shopkeepers along with other professionals. The middle class was not a very wealthy class but the wealth relied on the hardwork and effort they put in their jobs.
Workers : were not specifically skilled or trained and lacked job protection. They took up any jobs and were dependent on their employers The lower class among the workers belonged to the peasants living in rural areas and working on small pieces of agricultural land to produce foods and other staples for the rest of the population. Manuy of the suffered from starvation.
