What was middle classs?

Answer 1

The original meaning is: people in the middle of the social hierarchy; better off and 'higher up' than blue-collar workers, but not belonging to the financial and/or social elite. The British made and still make the distinction between 'lower middle class' - more or less equal to what Americans most often mean when they use the term middle class - and 'upper middle class', meaning well-to-do, and often holding high-level jobs, and as families, well- established in British society.

In the US, 'middle class' usually means: college or university educated, homeowner, being able to build up savings more or less sufficient for early retirement, being able to pay for a college education for their kids, working in middle management jobs or running mid-sized companies or as 'professionals' such as lawyers, dentists, Accountants etcetera.