key topic 1 history French Rev

around 130,000 in a population of 28 million

how many people were in the first estate?

139 bishops, 25,000 monks, 40,000 nuns, 50,000 lower clergy nd the rest were mainly higher clergy

what people made up the first estate?

• most privileged

• children of first estate families were automatically given a higher position in the church, meaning they would get higher salaries starting at about 400,000 livre

• plurality meant that bishops could own more than on diocese

• exempt from taxation except don Gratuit

• they collected tithes for growing crops on their land which would amount to over 30 million a year

privilege’s of the first estate

a voluntary payment from the first estate to the royals which was under 5% of their annual income

what is don Gratuit?

• they were the most privileged class

• make up smallest percentile of population

• collectively owned 10% of the countries land from which they obtained their wealth

• annual income was over 100 million

• not subject to civil law but to church law which was less harsh

• acted as the ministry of information for the government

• provided poor relief, limited education and hospitals

power of the first estate

estimated between 120,000 to 350,000

how many people are in the second estate?

consisted of over 4,000 court nobility as well legal and administrative nobility

what people made up the second estate?

many could afford to live in Versailles and the rest lived in the country in various states of prosperity. They were tried in special courts. They acquired titles through inheritance. They were exempt from most direct taxation and some indirect.

privileges of the second estate

had to pay some indirect taxation and were not allowed to take part in industrial or commercial activities or they would suffer degradation

burdens of the second estate

around 24,500,000 people

how many people are in the third estate?

what people made up the third estate?

a small percentage could own land, employ laborers and grow crops to sell at the market. these were known as the bourgeoisie and were the more wealthier members of the third estate. the vast majority consisted of urban unskilled workers

burdens of the third estate

they were subject to all taxation and at the highest amount. many lived and farmed on land of the nobility under a system of feudalism and had to pay feudal dues to their landowner. the high taxation prevented social mobility. they were subject to the corvee. they also had not political rights to object or improve their position in society