By the start of the 18th century, both America and Europe had large middle-class population. I suggest you actually read your old high school history book. These middle-classes came about as a result of the Industrial Revolution and were called the "bourgeoisie." It wasn's peasants who led the American and French Revolutions, introducing modern democracy, but the bourgeoisie/middle-classes. Did you even know that half the signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence were in the business of international trade, i.e. middle-men? And America's biggest complaint with England was excessive, burdensome taxation: "No taxation without representation!" It's not poor peasants who don't have money to tax to begin with that are worried about over-taxation. It's people who have money that can be taxed--i.e., middle-classes--that started Revolutions in America and Europe to escape the burden of taxes!