France:
Estates General & the Old Regime
The Old
Regime:
In the 1770s, the social and
political system of France – the
OLD REGIME – remained in
place. Under this system, the
people of France were divided
into three large social classes, or
estates.
The
First
Estate
The First
Estate
 Consisted
of:
–Roman
Catholic clergy, 1.0% of
population
 Paid no taxes!
 Consisted of 2 major groups
The First
Estate
 Upper
Clergy:
 Archbishops &
abbots
 Extravagant lives
 Owned 10-15% of
all French land
The First
Estate
 Responsibilities:
 Record
keeping
 Tithe collection (10%)
 Moral policies
 Advised king
The First
Estate
 Lower
Clergy:
 Bishops & priests
 Not quite as wealthy, more
sympathetic to peasants
The First
Estate
 Responsibilities:
 Ran
schools
 Cared for the poor

(Resented luxurious lifestyle of upper
clergy)
The
Second
Estate
The Second
Estate
 Consisted
of:
–Nobility, 2% of population
 PAID NO TAXES!!
 25-30% of land
 Consisted of 2 groups…
The Second
Estate
 Nobility
of the
Sword:
 Most prestigious
group
 Ancient lineage (heredity)
The Second
Estate
 Nobility
of the
Robe:
 Less prestigious
 Paid for government & military
positions
The Second
Estate
 Responsibilities:
 Controlled
forests, lakes and
ponds
 Restricted from farming;
therefore, collected rent from
peasants
The
Third
Estate
The Third
Estate
 Consisted
of:
–97% of population
 PAID TAXES!!
 3 groups
The Third
Estate
 Bourgeoisie:
 Merchants,
bankers, doctors,
lawyers
 4-5% of population
 Owned 20% of land
 No church, army or government
positions
The Third
Estate
 Sans-Culottes:
 “without
knee
pants”
 Urban artisans &
laborers
 15% of population
 Poor
The Third
Estate
 Peasants:
 80–85%
of population
 Worked 30-40% of land
 Could not hunt or fish
 Taxed for almost everything (king,
church, lord of the manor, goods, etc.)