In 1302, during the Reign of Philip III the French people were divided up into three distinct classes. They included those who prayed, those who fought and everyone else. These three groups, or estates, were referred to as the États-Généraux, or Estates General. From the 14th Century through most of the 18th Century, the Estates General ran pretty smoothly. As absolutism took hold in France under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, meetings of the Estates General became far and few between. In 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the Estates General met for the first time since 1614.
The First Estate- Those Who Prayed
The First Estate was made up of the clergy. They owned roughly 10% of land in France and made up about 10% of the population during the 18th Century. The church paid a “voluntary gift” every five years in lieu of taxes.
The Second Estate- Those Who Fought
The Second Estate was made up of the French aristocracy. Originally, the French nobles had been the feudal lords who fought alongside the French king and protected the peasant families who lived on their lands. However, by the 18th Century most Aristocrats were living in opulent splendor at Versailles, waiting on the king. Instead of brandishing swords and suits of armor they paraded about in high heels and powdered wigs. The aristocracy owned 25% of the land in France and was made up of around 400,000 people. They were lightly taxes, or not taxed at all. And to add insult to injury, the French nobles could impose taxes on peasants living on their land. They could tax them for fishing and hunting rights, to baking bread and to press grapes into wine. And there was nothing that the peasants could do about it.
The Third Estate- Everyone Else
Originally, the third estate was made up of peasants and unskilled laborers. Generally, this group was on equal footing in the Middle Ages. However, as trade expanded and learning flourished during the European Renaissance, a new class of educated and well-to-do merchants emerged in the Third Estates. This new bourgeoisie class did not take too kindly to being bossed around by the nobles. Well educated lawyers, doctors and writers were included in the bourgeoisie class. The Third Estate bore the brunt of the tax burden in France. At the time of the French Revolution, 98% of those who were taxed had no say in their government.
The Estates General and the French Revolution
Throughout the 18th Century, changes were taking place in France, reshaping the society. The Enlightenment brought about a great deal of emphasis on wealth and economic achievement rather than bloodlines. The American Revolution proved that people were capable of ruling themselves in a rational manner, without an appointed king. These two factors, coupled with increasing food shortages, failed harvests and general discontent with the king, Louis XVI, all helped lay the foundation for the French Revolution.
Sources:
Burns, Ralph, Lerner, Meacham. World Civilizations, Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1982
Lang, Sean. European History for Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
Nagel, Susan. Marie Théresè, Child of Terror: The Fate of Marie Antoinette’s Daughter. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.
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