The Three Estates-French Society Divided

Download as doc, pdf, or txt
Download as doc, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 1

The Three Estates- French Society Divided

Directions: Use the reading to fill in the boxes below.


Before the revolution, French society was organized into three estates, or groups.
The First Estate consisted of Roman Catholic clergy, and made up about 1% of the population. The First Estate
comprised two groups – the higher clergy and the lower clergy. The higher clergy – bishops and abbots – lived
in luxury and controlled 10-15% of all the land in France. At their disposal were the incomings from their
land as well as a tithe, or a 10% tax on income, from each church member. Although this money was used to
support schools, aid poor people and maintain church property, it also paid for the grand lifestyles the higher
clergy enjoyed.

The lower clergy, make up of parish priests, came from poorer backgrounds and were socially more a part of
the Third Estate. Many of the lower clergy, who carried out religious duties, resented the luxurious lifestyles
of the higher clergy.

The Second Estate, the nobility, formed about 2% of the population and owned about 25% of the land in
France. The nobility inherited their titles and their wealth came from the land. Most nobles enjoyed both
privileges and wealth. Many held high posts in the government and the military. Some lived in the palace at
Versailles, while others lived in lavish homes on inherited land, some of which they rented to peasants to
farm. Their main income came from the feudal dues they collected from the peasants who lived on and
worked their land.

In 1789, the Third Estate made up 97% of the population in France. The Third Estate comprised all those who
were not members of the First and Second Estates, and included peasants, working people and the bourgeoisie
(middle class). This group had very few political rights or privileges.

Wealthy merchants, doctors, lawyers, and business managers generally lived in the towns and cities. Educated
and prosperous, they had read Enlightenment works and believed in freedom and social justice. Other
members of the Third Estate – the urban poor – lived in the cities. They worked for low wages and in poor
working conditions. Finally, the peasants, the Third Estate’s largest group, lived in rural areas. Although they
owned almost 40% of the land, they were very poor because of the payments they had to make to other estates
(a tithe to the clergy, feudal dues to the nobles, and a land tax to the king). Members of the Third Estate had no
effective voice in government.

First Estate: 1% of population. Describe who was in it, how much land they controlled,
what sources of money (revenue) they had.

Second Estate: 2% of population. Describe who was in it, how much land they
controlled, what jobs they held, what their income was from

Third Estate: 97% of population. Describe the situation facing each group:
Bourgeoisie (middle class- merchants, lawyers etc.):

urban poor:

peasants:

You might also like