Unit 5 · Rich and Poor, Then and Now

Think about Agnes and the lord’s son. They lived in the same village. But their lives were very different. He rode a horse and lived in a castle. She carried water and lived in a hut. The difference came from their families.

A rank is a person’s place in a group, from high to low. When people are sorted into ranks like steps on a ladder, we call it a hierarchy. The top step had the most power and wealth. The bottom step had the least.

In many places long ago, you stayed on the step where you were born. A farmer’s child usually became a farmer. A noble’s child became a noble. This was true in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. It began to change only slowly.

In 1272, a man named Edward became King of England. He did not win an election. His father had been king before him. When Edward died, his son became king next. That is how the crown moved in many kingdoms.

A monarch is a king or queen who rules a country. A monarch often ruled for life. When the crown passes down to a child, we say the rule is inherited. You get it from your family, the way you might get your grandmother’s ring.

Monarchs made laws, led armies and collected taxes. Many said God had given them the right to rule. But a monarch could not rule alone. They needed nobles, soldiers and farmers. That need gave other people some power too.

A king could not watch over every field and village. So he gave big pieces of land to powerful families. In return, each family promised to be loyal. They also promised to send soldiers when the king went to war.

These powerful families were nobles. They had titles like lord, lady, duke or earl. Many nobles trained knights. A knight was a soldier who fought on horseback in armor. Knights promised to serve their lord.

Nobles often lived in castles. A castle was a strong home made of stone. It had thick walls to keep enemies out. It showed everyone nearby who was in charge. Life inside was not always comfy. Castles were cold and smoky.

Agnes’s family were peasants. Peasants were farmers who worked the land. In Europe long ago, most people were peasants. They grew wheat, oats and beans. They kept pigs, sheep and hens.

Many peasants were serfs. A serf was tied to a lord’s land. A serf could not move away without the lord saying yes. Serfs worked the lord’s fields for part of each week. They also gave the lord part of their own crops.

The lord’s land and village together were called a manor. A manor had fields, a mill, a church and houses. Serfs were not slaves. In most places, they could not be sold one by one. They had their own homes and families. But they were not free to choose their life.

Japan had an emperor. People honored him. But for hundreds of years, a military ruler called the shogun held the real power. Under the shogun were great lords. Each lord had warriors who served him.

These warriors were the samurai. Samurai trained with swords and bows. They were taught to be loyal, brave and calm. Many also studied poetry and writing. Being a samurai passed from father to son.

From about 1600 to the 1860s, Japan’s rulers kept samurai apart as the top rank. Official teaching listed farmers next, then craft workers, then merchants who bought and sold. Merchants were ranked low, yet some became very rich. Wealth and rank did not always match.

China had an emperor who ruled a huge land. He needed many helpers to run it. For over a thousand years, China chose many helpers in a special way. It gave hard written tests.

The tests were called the civil service exams. Students spent years reading old books, like the teachings of Confucius. Confucius was a teacher who lived about 2,500 years ago. He taught respect for family, learning and good behavior.

People who passed became scholar-officials. They helped run towns and provinces. Scholars had high rank and respect. In theory, many boys could take the tests. In practice, rich families could pay for more years of study. Girls were not allowed to take them.

About 500 years ago, a great city stood on an island in a lake. It was Tenochtitlan, the home of the Aztec. Today Mexico City stands in the same place. Canals ran through it like streets.

The Aztec ruler was called the tlatoani, which means speaker. He led the army and the temples. Below him were nobles. Nobles could wear cotton clothes and gold jewelry. Most people were commoners. They farmed, fished, built and made crafts.

Commoners belonged to neighborhood groups. Each group shared land and ran a school for its boys. A brave commoner could rise by doing well in war. That gave some people a way to move up.

High in the Andes Mountains of South America, the Inca built a large empire. About 500 years ago, it ran along the mountains for thousands of miles. Its ruler was the Sapa Inca. People treated him as holy.

The Inca did not use coins. Instead, families paid by working. This duty was called mit'a. Men took turns building roads, bridges and walls. Some served as soldiers. Some worked in mines.

In return, the state kept food in big storehouses. It could feed people in a bad year. Nobles and officials watched over the work. Most families farmed their own land too. Rank came mostly from birth, as in Europe and Japan.

In 1348, a terrible sickness reached England. People called it the Black Death. It was a plague, a disease that spread fast. Fleas helped spread it. Across Europe, it killed about one third of the people, or maybe more.

After the plague, there were far fewer workers. Lords needed help in their fields. Some peasants asked for higher pay. Some moved to find better work. Lords and the king tried to stop them with new laws.

In 1381, thousands of English peasants marched to London. This was the Peasants' Revolt. They wanted an end to serfdom. The young king met them and made promises. Then he broke them. Still, over the next hundred years, serfdom in England slowly faded away.

In 1215, English nobles made King John agree to a paper called Magna Carta. It said even the king had to follow the law. At first it helped mostly nobles. Later, people used its ideas to claim rights for everyone.

Change came in many places, often very slowly. Russia freed its serfs in 1861. Japan ended the samurai as a ruling rank in the 1870s. China stopped its old exams in 1905. Each change had its own story and its own struggles.

Today, most countries say people are equal under the law. Birth still affects people’s lives in many ways. But a farmer’s child can become a doctor, a teacher or a leader. People worked and argued for a long time to make that possible.

Ms. Park is a bus driver. Every two weeks she gets a paycheck. That paycheck is her income. Income is money that comes in over time. It can come from a job, a business or other places.

Ms. Park also owns things. She has a small house, a car and some money in the bank. All that she owns, minus what she owes, is her wealth. If she still owes money on her house, that part is not really hers yet.

Income and wealth are not the same. A person can earn a good income but own little. Another person can own a farm but have a small income this year. Both words help us understand who has more, and why.

Mr. Okafor opened a small bakery. First he saved part of his pay for five years. Then he used the savings to rent a shop and buy an oven. Now the bakery earns money every day.

Saving means keeping some money instead of spending it now. Savings can be used later to buy things that earn money. A shop, a farm or a building can earn money for years. Things you own that have value are called assets.

Wealth often grows when people own assets. A family that owns a home can pass it to its children. That gives the children a head start. A family with no assets starts from zero. This is one reason wealth gaps can last a long time.

Dr. Reyes is a nurse practitioner. She studied for about seven years after high school. Her friend works at a store. He started right after high school. On average, Dr. Reyes earns more.

Jobs that need special skills often pay more. The skills take years of training or school to learn. Also, fewer people can do those jobs. When something is needed and hard to find, people often pay more for it.

This is an average, not a rule. Some people with little schooling start businesses and earn a lot. Some people with lots of schooling earn little. And many jobs that pay less, like caring for children, are very important. Pay is not the same as value.

Remember Luis and Marisol. They are both smart and hard-working. But Luis goes to a school with a lab. Marisol walks an hour to a school with few books. Neither cousin chose where to be born.

Luck is what happens to you by chance, not by choice. Being born in a rich country is luck. So is a storm that ruins a farm, or a sickness in the family. Good luck and bad luck can both change a family’s money.

Hard work and choices matter a lot. So does luck. Most experts agree that both play a part. People disagree about how much each one counts. That question is part of many debates about fairness.

Jada’s mom lost her job when her company closed. For a few months, money was very tight. Jada still did her homework. Her mom still made dinner. They were the same kind, hard-working people as before.

Being poor means not having enough money for basic needs. Needs are things people must have to live, like food, a safe home, clothes and health care. Many families are poor for a while, then things get better.

Being poor does not tell you who a person is. It does not mean they are lazy or less smart. Many causes, like a closed factory, an illness or low pay, can lead to it. Every person deserves respect, whatever their money.

On Saturday morning, Tom and his dad sort cans at a food pantry. They put beans in one box and soup in another. Later, families come in and choose what they need.

A food bank is a big warehouse that collects food. It gets food from farms, stores and people who give. It sends the food to smaller food pantries in neighborhoods. Chicago has a large one, the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Many food banks are run by charities, groups that help people and do not try to make a profit. Churches, mosques, temples and neighbors help too. Volunteers give their time. Anyone might need help someday, and anyone can help.

After school, Mei goes to her neighborhood library. She borrows books and uses a computer for homework. It costs her nothing. Her library card is free.

A public library is open to everyone and paid for by taxes. Taxes are money people and businesses pay to the government for shared services. The Chicago Public Library opened in 1873. Today it has branches all over the city.

Public schools are paid for by taxes too. In the United States, every child can go to school for free. Many people believe free schools and libraries help make chances fairer. A child with no books at home can still read every day.

In some countries, most homes have running water and electricity. In others, many families carry water from a well. Marisol’s town in Honduras has a clinic open two days a week. Luis’s city has many hospitals.

Some people live in extreme poverty. The World Bank uses that term for living on only a couple of dollars a day. In 1990, more than one in three people in the world lived this way. By 2019, it was about one in ten.

Why did this happen? Many countries grew more food, built factories and sent more children to school. Trade between countries grew too. People still debate which causes mattered most. Hundreds of millions of people still live in extreme poverty.

Picture a race. One runner starts at the line. Another starts ten steps behind. Both run hard. Is the race fair? Most people would say no. The runners did not have the same start.

Opportunity is a real chance to do something, like go to school or get a good job. Fairness means treating people in a way that is right and just. Many people say a fair country gives every child a real opportunity.

People agree on a lot, but not everything. Some say fair means the same rules for everyone. Some say fair means extra help for those who start behind. Many people believe some of both. Good thinkers listen to each side.

A town has a problem. Some families cannot afford food. The town meets to talk. One neighbor says the church and food pantry should help. Another says the government should run a program. A store owner offers to hire more workers.

People have different ideas about who should help. Some think government programs, paid for by taxes, work best for big problems. They say help should reach everyone. Others think families, charities and businesses help best. They say local people know their neighbors’ needs.

Each view has supporters and critics. Most countries use a mix. In the United States, food pantries, churches, businesses and government programs all help. Adults debate the right mix at every election.