France’s Three Estates
• Describe the causes of the French
Revolution including inequalities in society,
enlightenment ideas, and widespread
crisis in the country.
• Explain how problems, such as societal
inequalities, natural disasters, and the
introduction of new ideas, happen over
time and often develop into avenues of
change.
What would you start a
Revolution for?
What does injustice mean?
Three Estates
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Clergy
Nobility
Commoners
Land
Ownership
Taxation
Population
Land Ownership
1st Estate: Clergy
•
•
•
•
.05 – 1% of the French population
Owned 10 %- 15% of the land
This land was held tax free.
Collected tithes from 3rd estate.
Clergy divided into the lower and
upper clergy
Upper Clergy: Bishops and abbots men who regarded their office as a
way of securing a larger income and the landed property that went with
it. Most of the upper clergy sold their offices to subordinates, kept the
revenue, and lived in Paris or at the seat of royal government at
Versailles.
Lower Clergy: Humble, poorly-paid and overworked village priests
As a group, they resented the wealth and arrogance of the upper clergy
2nd Estate: Nobles
• 1.5 – 2% of the French population
• Owned 20 % of the land
• As an order, they were virtually
exempt from paying taxes of any kind.
• Collected rent and dues from the
peasant population who lived on their
lands.
Like the clergy, there were two
levels of nobility
Nobility of the Sword: served their King at his court in Versailles. Many
members of this order were of ancient lineage - their family history could
be traced back hundreds of years.
Nobility of the Robe: members of this estate who were relative
newcomers. Had prestige but much less than the Nobility of the Sword.
Created by the monarchy in the past. French kings needed money so it
seemed logical to offer position and status to those men who were
willing to pay enough money for it. King could also keep an eye on their
behavior. This is one reason why Louis XIV built Versailles in the first
place. Originally a vast hunting lodge, Louis built up Versailles in order
to house his generals, ministers and other court suck-ups.
• Nobility collected dues as well…
• Le Corvee:
– labor dues collected from peasants, on
salt, cloth, bread, wine and the use
mills, granaries, presses and ovens.
• By the 18th century, they were also
becoming involved in banking, finance,
shipping, insurance and manufacturing.
They were also the leading patrons of the
arts.
• Some of the lesser nobility offered their
homes and their salons to the likes of
Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau.
• During the early days of the Revolution
considered "liberal nobles." They wished
to see an end to royal absolutism but not
necessarily the end of the monarchy.
• These liberal nobles tended to look to
France's traditional enemy, England, as a
model for what France ought to become, a
limited or constitutional monarchy.
3rd Estate: Bourgeoisie, Peasants,
Urban Workers
• 97 - 98% of the French population
• Bourgeoisie owned 30% of the land
• Peasants owned 40 – 45% of the land
• Essentially responsible for all taxes.
3rd Estate
The Bourgeoisie: Middle class included bankers, merchants and
manufacturers
The bulk of the 3rd estate were made up of rural landowners and
peasants.
Finally, the poorest members were the urban (City) workers: printers,
clothe makers, porters, construction workers and street sellers.
Bourgeoisie
• This group had wealth. In some cases,
enormous wealth.
• However, wealth in the ancien regime did not
mean status or privilege and "success" in 18th
century France meant status and privilege.
• Wealth was nothing without status.
• Bourgeoisie were influenced by the nobility and
tried to imitate them whenever possible.
• Upwardly mobile, but felt frustrated and blocked
by the nobility.
1789
• By 1789, the bourgeoisie controlled 20% of all
the land.
• Bourgeoisie had numerous grievances:
– Wanted all Church, army and government positions
open to men of talent and merit.
– Sought a Parliament that would make all the laws for
the nation.
– Desired a constitution that would limit the king's
powers.
– Desired fair trials, religious toleration and vast
administrative reforms.
Peasantry
• French peasants’ standard of living was perhaps better
than the European peasantry in general. However, the
continued to live in utmost poverty.
• Most peasants did not own their land but rented it from
those wealthier peasants or nobility.
• Supplemented income by hiring themselves out as day
laborers, textile workers or manual laborers.
• Victimized by heavy taxation
• Peasants paid taxes to the king and the church and
taxes and dues to the lord of the manor, as well as
numerous indirect taxes on wine, salt, and bread.
• Peasants also owed their lord a labor obligation.
1789
• By 1789, Peasantry owned 30-40% of the
available land but mostly in small, semifeudal plots.
• Taxes were increased as was rent.
• Peasants used antiquated methods of
agriculture.
• Prices continued to rise at a quicker rate
than wages. To make matters worse, there
was the poor harvest of 1788/89.
Urban Workers
• Urban workers or artisans, as a group,
consisted of all journeymen, factory
workers and wage earners.
• Urban poor also lived in poverty.
1789
• Wages increased by only 22% while the
cost of living increased by 62%.
• 1st. What is the third estate?
Everything.
2nd. What has it been in the political
order? Nothing.
3rd. What does it demand? To
become something.
~Abbé Sieyès, What is the Third Estate?
(1789)