As many as 70 percent of Americans consider themselves to be members of the middle class. But if you consider income as a qualifier for membership, only about 50 percent of Americans qualify for membership. So what does it meant to be middle class and why do so many Americans want to be members of it? Jennifer Goloboy, an independent scholar based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the author of Charleston and the Emergence of Middle-Class Culture in the Revolutionary Era, helps us explore the origins of the American middle class so we can better understand what it is and why so many Americans want to be a part of it. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/190   Meet Ups Boston History Camp, July 7 Boston Meet Up: July 8, 10am Meet at the corner of Park Street and Tremont Street on Boston Common Cleveland Meet Up: Saturday July 21   Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Susan Sleeper-Smith, Indigenous Prosperity and American Conquest: Indian Women of the Ohio River Valley, 1690-1792 Join the BFWorld listener community on Facebook   Complementary Episodes Episode 012: Dane Morrison, True Yankees: The South Seas & the Discovery of American Identity Episode 098: Gautham Rao, Birth of the American Tax Man Episode 126: Rebecca Brannon, The Reintegration of American Loyalists Episode 133: Patrick Breen, The Nat Turner Revolt Episode 159: The Revolutionary Economy Episode 161: Smuggling in the American Revolution     Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App   *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.