French Estate System & Causes of French Revolution

Created by Aaron YonkeBay 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 Revolution2) Weak Leadership of King Louis XVI

Indecisive and a procrastinator Incapable of handling the Nobility

3) Unpopularity of Queen Marie AntoinetteWas Austrian, historic enemy of FranceSeen as wasting $ by 3rd Estate

4) American RevolutionCost 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