1st Estate
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You represent the clergy or priests of France
While you are constantly looking to heaven for the afterlife, you are also
conscious of your earthly life and want to protect your accomplishments and
privilege
As Clergy, you represent a very small part of the population, own about 10
percent of the land and pay only 2% of the countries taxes.
While you are few and own much land, you claim that you need this large
amount of land, both for your personal churches, but also to provide
education and services to the poor.
You need the King and Queen to keep you in power
FEARS: 3rd Estate- if they were to achieve equality they could force you to
pay higher taxes, or take all of your land
Dislike: Nobles are always wanting more land because they would receive
more money
Decide: Who would you rather vote with if you had to make a partnership?
As a Group you get 1 vote, make it count!
*Remember: At all costs you want to save your own skin!!!
2nd Estate
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You represent the Nobles of France
You represent a very small part of the population, about 2%, yet own about
20% of the land.
Your wealth comes from land ownership: residences pay taxes for living and
working your land
You love your lifestyle: lavish spending abilities, great parties every week,
and the envy of the 3rd Estate
While you, like the 1st Estate, are few in numbers, you need this land because
it is your noble right, passed on from family member to family member and
condoned by the King.
You need the king and queen to keep you in power
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Fears: 3rd Estate - if they were to achieve equality they could take away your
land, titles, estates, and privilege conferred to you by birth
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Dislike: You dislike the churches ability to own land, but need the clergy in
order to confer upon you the blessings that will allow you to go to heaven.
But, at the same time, would not hesitate to take more of their land.
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Decide: Who would you rather vote with if you had to make a partnership?
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As a Group you get 1 vote, make it count!
*Remember: At all costs you want to save your own skin!!!
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3rd
Estate
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You represent 98% of the population: merchants, artisans, peasants, dock
workers, the poor, the landless, cooks, and servants.
You pay yearly 98% of the county’s taxes to the nobles, or about half of your
income directly to the 2nd Estate. However, in addition, there were other
taxes on basic staples like salt and flower. Many times even with continual
work, you were unable to make enough to feed yourself and thus had to
resort to stealing from bread and grain carts to get by.
You feel like you need the 1st Estate if your soul is to ever get to heaven but
at times feel as though they are little different than the 2nd Estate, living in
comparative comfort and paying nearly zero taxes.
You despise the 2nd Estate, taking nearly everything you make and living
lavishly without fear of want or need.
You’ve been reading and thinking about the new philosophies and ideas
abounding about the Enlightenment that advocate Equality, Liberty, and
Democracy as reasonable and logical ways to run a country. Nothing about
the current state of France seems Equal, Free, or Democratic to you.
You hate the King and Queen
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Fears: Nothing will come out of a voting process because the other two
estates a only interested in preserving the status quo
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Dislike: The inequality in France and would love to change it via a vote, but
have little faith this will happen
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Decide: What will you do after the vote if you are not successful in winning
any concessions for the 3rd Estate?
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As a Group you get 1 vote, make it count!
Name: _____________________________
Headline #1:
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are hosting a party and need more money. He and she
propose raising taxes
Vote (Yes or No):
1st Estate _________________ 2st Estate _________________ 3rd Estate _________________
Headline #2:
Austria has just declared war on France. The King and Queen propose drafting the 3rd Estate into
the army to fight the war.
Vote (Yes or No):
1st Estate _________________ 2st Estate _________________ 3rd Estate _________________
Headline #3:
The King and Queen need weapons and armor to fight the war with Austria. They propose
raising taxes.
Vote (Yes or No):
1st Estate _________________ 2st Estate _________________ 3rd Estate _________________
Headline #4:
The King wants to build the largest cathedral in the world in honor of God, France, and the King
and Queen. He proposes raising taxes.
Vote (Yes or No):
1st Estate _________________ 2st Estate _________________ 3rd Estate _________________
Summary:
1. What is your Estate’s feeling about how the Estates General functions?
2. How would each Estate feel about the ideals espoused by the Enlightenment?