Gordon Wood on the American middle class

For many years, an integral part of the American dream has involved making it to the middle class. We associate the phrase with steady, secure work, home ownership and providing for a comfortable — if not lavish — lifestyle for our family. But has middle class America fundamentally changed since the Great Recession hit? Do people that once saw themselves as solidly middle class see themselves differently now?

We take you on a journey on what the middle class has given this nation.

When did the notion of the middle class really take shape in America? Gordon Wood, history professor at Brown University and author of the book “Radicalism of the American Revolution,” says our middle class roots are positively based in our revolutionary roots.