French Estate System & Causes
of French Revolution
Created by Aaron Yonke
Bay Port High School, Green Bay, WI
Background on France
• Before the Rev. France had the largest
population in Europe
• France was home to the ENL and a
center for learning and culture
• France was a superpower, #2 in the
world only to Great Britain
• The long-term cause of the French
Rev. was the Estates System
What is the Estates System
• French social class system– “Three
Estates”
–Divided population into 3 groups
• First Estate, Second Estate, Third Estate
–Similar to our informal social classes
• This is the main long-term cause of the
French Revolution
First Estate
• 130 thousand people (0.5% of
population)
• Owned about 10% of all land
• Exempt from the Taille (the main tax)
• Clergy members
Second Estate
• 350 thousand people (1.5% of
population)
• Owned about 25% of all land
• Held all positions in govt. and the
military
• Exempt from the Taille
• Tried to gain more power at expense
of the monarchy
Third Estate
• About 98% of the population
• Owned about 65% of the land
• Paid 100% of the Taille
• Divided into 3 groups
–Peasants
–Urban Poor
–Middle Class (Bourgeoisie)
Peasants
• Made up 75% of the Third Estate
• Owned 35% of the land
• Still under feudalism (What is
feudalism?)
• Had to pay to use village services,
clergy, and nobles
Urban Poor
• Shopkeepers, craftspeople,
wage earners
• Lived in urban areas (the
city)
Bourgeoisie
• 2.3 million people (8% of
total population)
• Owned 20% of all land
• Merchants, bankers,
professionals
Problems with the Estates system
• Biggest group has least amount of
influence, power, and money
• People with the least amount of money
paid all the taxes
• The Third Estate did all the work for little
reward
• Minority rules majority
Causes of the French Revolution
• What was the long term cause of the rev?
• The immediate causes were..
• 1) Financial crisis
–Bad harvests in 1788 and 1789
–Economic slowdown, food prices up and
shortages
–People lost their jobs
–Number of “poor” now 1/3 of pop.
–French govt. spent massive amounts of
money on wars and luxuries
Causes of the French Revolution
2) Weak Leadership of King Louis XVI
Indecisive and a procrastinator
Incapable of handling the Nobility
3) Unpopularity of Queen Marie Antoinette
Was Austrian, historic enemy of France
Seen as wasting $ by 3rd Estate
4) American Revolution
Cost France a lot of $
Gave the Bourgeoisie an alternative to Monarchy
Estates General meeting 1789
What was the Estates General
• Group of members from each
Estate
• First time since 1614 that Estates
General was called
• Job was meant to give advice to
the King
Members of the Estates
Makeup of the Estates General
Problems with the Estates General
• Each Estate had one vote, but the
third estate had as many members
as first and second estates
combined
• First and Second Estate could over
rule the Third Estate
• Not equally represented