French Revolution: Causes and Social Structure

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the social structure and causes of the French Revolution, emphasizing the inequalities and financial crises that led to the uprising.

First Estate

The clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, constituting less than 1% of the French population, powerful and wealthy, owning 15% of French land, and exempt from paying taxes.

Second Estate

The nobility, making up less than 2% of the population, enjoyed many privileges, owned 20% of French land, and collected dues from peasants but paid few taxes.

Third Estate

The part of French society that represented over 97% of the population, including the bourgeoisie, city workers, and rural peasants, who had no voice in law-making and bore the burden of taxation.

Bourgeoisie

The urban middle class in France, comprised of wealthy merchants and professionals, who were frustrated by their lack of political power despite their economic strength.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement that emphasized reason, individual rights, and the idea of the social contract, influencing political thought and contributing to the causes of the French Revolution.

Financial Crisis

A situation marked by escalating debt under kings like Louis XIV and Louis XVI, exacerbated by wars and the inability to tax the privileged classes, leading to widespread hardship among the Third Estate.

Cahiers de Doleances

The lists of grievances brought by the Estates to the meeting of the Estates-General, highlighting the frustrations and demands of the populace before the revolution.

Taxation

Taxation refers to the systematic method by which a government imposes financial charges, known as taxes, directly on its citizens or businesses. This process primarily impacts the lower socio-economic classes, such as the Third Estate in a historical context. The Third Estate often bears the brunt of high taxes, while the upper classes, represented by the First and Second Estates, typically enjoy exemptions or significantly lower tax burdens, leading to socioeconomic disparities.

Absolute control

A political situation wherein the king and landlords maintained complete authority over laws and governance, leaving the Third Estate powerless.

Harvest Crisis

A series of agricultural failures leading to food shortages and increased prices, particularly impacting the Third Estate and contributing to societal discontent.