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Examines the social inequality of the Three Estates and the economic crisis that triggered the French Revolution.
Imagine paying of your income in taxes while your billionaire neighbor pays zero and throws gold-plated parties. How long would you wait before you decided to tear the system down?
In , France was governed by the Ancien Régime, a rigid social hierarchy divided into three 'Estates.' The First Estate consisted of the Catholic clergy, while the Second Estate was made up of the nobility. Together, these two groups owned about of the land and held all high government offices, yet they paid almost no taxes. The Third Estate comprised of the population, including wealthy lawyers, merchants, and millions of starving peasants. They bore the entire financial burden of the country but had no voice in how it was run. This inequality created a 'pressure cooker' environment where the majority felt exploited by a tiny, wealthy elite.
To understand the burden on a peasant in the Third Estate, consider this simplified breakdown of their income: 1. A peasant earns units of grain. 2. They pay a tithe () to the Church: . 3. They pay feudal dues to the local Lord: units. 4. They pay the taille (land tax) to the King: units. 5. Remaining for the family: units.
In this scenario, the peasant keeps only of their labor, while the First and Second Estates keep of theirs.
Quick Check
Which Estate made up the vast majority of the population but held the least political power?
Answer
The Third Estate.
By the late s, France was bankrupt. King Louis XVI had spent massive sums on the American Revolution and the lavish lifestyle at the Palace of Versailles. To make matters worse, a series of bad harvests hit the country. The price of bread—the main food source for the poor—doubled in a single year. When the King tried to solve the debt by taxing the nobility, they refused. Desperate, he called the Estates-General (a meeting of all three groups). When the Third Estate was outvoted by the first two, they broke away to form the National Assembly, swearing the Tennis Court Oath to write a new constitution for France.
Consider the impact of inflation on a typical worker's daily life in : 1. A laborer earns sous per day. 2. In , a loaf of bread costs sous ( of daily wages). 3. In , due to bad harvests, the price rises to sous ( of daily wages). 4. This leaves only sou for rent, clothing, and all other family members. This economic math made revolution inevitable.
Quick Check
What was the primary reason the Third Estate formed the National Assembly?
Answer
They were being outvoted by the First and Second Estates and wanted a fair say in the government.
On July , rumors spread that the King was sending the army to crush the National Assembly. In a panic, a mob in Paris stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a prison and armory. They weren't just looking for gunpowder; they were attacking a symbol of royal tyranny. This act of defiance forced the King to recognize the National Assembly. Shortly after, the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, it declared that 'men are born and remain free and equal in rights,' effectively ending the legal inequality of the Three Estates.
Analyze the shift in power from the Ancien Régime to the Declaration: 1. Before: Power comes from the King (Divine Right). The law is whatever the King says. 2. After: Power comes from the Nation (the people). The law is an expression of the 'general will.' 3. Application: Under the old system, a Noble could have a peasant arrested without a trial. Under Article of the Declaration, no person can be accused or arrested except in cases determined by the law. This is the foundation of modern Due Process.
What percentage of the French population belonged to the Third Estate?
Which event is considered the symbolic start of the French Revolution?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated that the King's power came directly from God.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to list the three groups that made up the Three Estates and one reason why the Third Estate was angry.
Practice Activity
Imagine you are a journalist in Paris in 1789. Write a three-sentence headline explaining why the people are storming the Bastille.