4.31 Europe: a.d. 1701 to 1800  (Page 10/28)

The new luxury of the 18th century meant a change in the living conditions of both rich and poor. Of primary importance was the separation of living quarters from the workshop or business. Up until this time merchants' and artisans' houses had the shop on the lower floor, the master's dwelling above and the workmen's or apprentices' rooms above that. (Ref. 260 ) Industrial activity was widespread so that there was not a town or City without its own looms, forges, brick or tile works or sawmill. In some areas there were huge concentrations of workers: 30,000 in the coal industry in Newcastle; 450,000 weavers in Languedoc; 1,500,000 textile workers in five northern French provinces. But commerce and its accompanying wealth were in the hands of but a few, 4 or 5 merchants in Seville, 8 or 9 in Le Mans and less than 1% of the population of Marseilles. Similarly, the nobility of Lombardy made up 1% of the population, but possessed about 1/2 of all landed property. (Ref. 292 )

Spain

We have mentioned Spain's problem of establishing a new ruler after the death of the imbecile king Carlos (Charles) II in the remarks just above. Practically no battles were fought on Spanish soil. Although both the English King William and the Emperor Leopold died during the war, it dragged on with Eugene of Savoy handling the Habsburg war machine and the great Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill) handling English policy. Spain did lose Naples, Parma, Sardinia and Milan to Austria, while Sicily went to Savoy and Gibraltar and Minorca went to England. In the last 3/4 of the century Spain was more or less involved in continuous wars with various European alliances over various territories and successions - the War of the Polish Succession, the War of Jenkins Ear with England, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, then war with France, then with France against England again. At the end of that last one, at the 2nd Treaty of Ildefonso, France obtained Louisiana from Spain. In spite of all, the Spanish overseas empire brought wealth and prosperity throughout the century. Spain made war on American gold.

Map taken from Reference 97.

Philip V, grandson of Louis XIV was the first Bourbon on the Spanish throne. A melancholy man, he was dominated by women, first the princesse des Ursins , lady in waiting to his first consort, Maria Luisa of Savoy, then by his wife Elizabeth Farnese, who in turn was dominated by the chief minister, Cardinal Alberoni. In the War of the Polish Succession Naples and Sicily passed to Don Carlos (later Carlos III), son of Philip and Elizabeth. In the War of the Austrian Succession Spain obtained Parma and Piacenze for Charles' younger brother, Philip. Philip V was succeeded by Ferdinand VI, his son by Maria Luisa. In the years before the Seven Years War both France and England had sought a Spanish alliance, but Ferdinand, by manipulating his ministers, kept Spain out of that war during his lifetime. He died in 1759 and was followed by his half brother, Carlos (Charles) III, who finally succumbed to pressure from France and got involved in the war, which drained Spanish revenues and resulted in England receiving Florida, although he did obtain Louisiana from France. Because he helped the Americans some in their revolution, Carlos re-obtained Florida and picked up Minorca from England at the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Carlos III is regarded as the greatest Bourbon king of Spain, but Carlos IV, who followed, was ineffective.