ABSTRACT
Revolutionary America was largely a bifurcated society with a large population of people of modest means and a small class of wealthy gentry. There was also a small and developing middle class referred to as "mechanics" largely composed of artisans, trades-men, small shop owners, some farmers, and lower level professionals. Still in its infancy during the Revolutionary period was the American middle class-the "middling sort" or "mechanics". The old middle class was maligned by the American gentry in a manner similar to the upper classes' stated distaste for the common American. This animosity from the elite came in part from their commitment to the tradition of ranks. The American Revolution heightened the feelings of progressive republicanism among ordinary Americans. The acceptance of progressive republican ideas and values not only set the stage for a new egalitarianism but extended radical change deep into the social structure.
