Uploaded by Sharath Nair

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Third Estate
 Was everyone else: bourgeoisie, merchants, peasants
 Made up 98% of the population.
 Originally was mostly peasants but the rise of trade meant it now included a middle class.
 Ranged from enormously wealthy to very poor.
 Paid all the taxes: taille (land tax), poll tax (5% tax on all wages), gabelle, tax on food, drinks
and tithe to the church.
 Received one vote in the Estates General Meetings.
Causes of the French Revolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ancien Regime
Characters of the King and Queen
American War of Independence
Financial Difficulties
Enlightenment Thinkers
Ancien Regime
 Large gap between the rich and poor people.
 Top jobs are filled by the nobility and clergy.
 98% of the population (3rd estate) did all the work and paid most of the taxes.
 3rd Estate had no say in government as the first 2 estates always voted together in the EstatesGeneral meetings, thus had no access to the King.
Result: was a very angry and isolapted Third Estate.
Characters of the King and Queen
 The King was thought to be feeble and easily influenced by the Queen.
 The Queen was unpopular with the people as she was foreign, frivolous with money and exerted
too much influence on the King.
- Result: the King and Queen were not highly revered. The mysticism usually surrounding the
monarchy was waning.
American War of Independence
Result: was that something needed to change for France to be able to pay its debt.
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