Estates of the realm

Introduction The monarchical government of the Ancien Regime was an aristocratic, social, legal and political system of government prior to the French Revolution. According to Sewell (1985, p. 62), the Ancien Regime developed through a number of ideologies from different historical periods. In particular, it combined feudal, Catholic, constitutional, legal and corporate ideologies. Essentially, the system involved several social and political structures: the three estates of the realm, the provinces, the chartered cities, trade guilds, academies, religious orders, chartered companies and numerous magistrate assemblies (Sewell 1985, p. 62). However, the most important features of the regime were the royal court, the royal decision-making assembly,…

For a number of historians with a socialist perspective, the Third Estate played a key role in the events leading to the French revolution (Campbell 2012, p. 6). According to Bourne (1906, p. 269), spurred by their united ambition for political change, a progressive class of bourgeoisie orchestrated a mass movement of rebellion against higher authority. Similarly, Skocpol (1988, p. 151), claims the French Revolution was a social revolution, which transformed the class structure and the structure…

and not of Rights. Society was organized in three Estates: the First Estate was made up of the clergy, the church enjoyed a generous exemption from taxation, although it did make a voluntary yearly contribution to the crown’s exchequer, and clergymen had a monopoly over certain offices, the Roman Catholic Church also more or less controlled education throughout the country. The Second Estate was made of the titled Nobility of the kingdom. “Those who fought” paid very taxes; they were exempted…

In the 1700’s, France had a medieval styled, ridged class structure made up of the monarch and three groups, the first, second, and third estates. At the top of the social ladder as the highest-ranking person in the country was the king, followed by the members of the First Estate, the clergy. The Second Estate consisted of the nation’s nobility, and finally, at the lowest rank was the Third Estate made up of the bourgeoisie, urban workers, and peasants. While the First and Second Estates had…

France had been the largest and most powerful European nation. Beneath the appearance of stability however lay the seeds of revolution within a few months in1789, king Louis lost his power to make laws, and eventually people’s elected representative voted for his execution. The causes of the French revolution were very complex. Since the middle age, French society had been divided into three separate estates. In the mid-1700s discontent grew among the people of all three estates. The first…

King Louis XVI to pay for the constant wars, but the upper class was exempt. The aristocracy of France believed they had “unquestioned privilege” (Nadis), and therefore should not have to pay taxes like the commoners. These taxes led to starvation, as the taxes on food became too expensive. As the Enlightenment occurred, people began to question the social classes more. When Louis XVI tried to get the upper class to pay taxes, they held a vote. Each estate was given one vote, even though the…

people is a demand for change. The common people, the ones dong the work day in and day out fell as if they are have been betrayed by the very people that are supposed to be helping them prosper in life, the government. This is exactly what Benjamin Franklin believes to the truth, and what the people of France in 1789 found to be a stark reality. The peasants, typically farmers, and the Bourgeoisie, France’s wealthiest class, felt that their chances to better their lives were being restricted…

The French Revolution in 1789 was a time of vast change in France. Before the French Revolution, France was a monarchy under rule of King Louis XVI and was split into three Estates. As a result of the extravagant spendings of the king and queen, France was sent into debt. The King’s solution to the financial crisis, in addition to taxing the Third Estate, the king decided to tax the nobility to pay off France’s financial burdens. This new tax was questioned by the nobility, so they made King…

During the French Revolution, the poor people of France rebelled against the unjust government in which they had little to no representation, resulting in the arrests and executions of over 300,000 Frenchmen (Gaynor & Esler 478). During this time period, much of France’s Third Estate, which made up over 98% of the population, lived in horrible conditions. They had to deal with famine and living in small, one room houses while the rich lived easy lives with little work, not having to pay any…

appealed to the first and second estates to agree to a tax on their land, but they refused. The financial crises that followed was the final cause leading to revolution. Enlightenment Ideas New views about power and authority in government were spreading among the Third Estate. Members of the Third Estate were inspired by the success of the American Revolution. They began questioning long-standing notions about the structure of society. Quoting Rousseau and Voltaire, they began to demand…