In the book, A Conspiracy of Paper, the main character, Ben Weaver, is a detective tracking down felons and people in debt to others for noble clients. When he is suddenly asked to investigate his father's death, he falls into the deceptive world of the English stock market. In 18th century England, which class role you were placed in was dependant on various things.

One of such examples is birth. If you were born to a family of peasants, you would clearly be in the lower-class of society. Professions were another way. Professions were sorted out amongst the lower, middle and upper classes. Kate was in the lower class of society since she was a whore and a crook. Those who stole to gain profit were considered lower class.

Wealth was one of the key things that separated people into social classes. Obviously, the most important and richest...