French Revolution - History
Causes
The Key Event - Storming of the Bastille
Consequences
Long Term - The Ancien Regime
Short Term - The Estates General
The Estates System
Unfair Taxation
The Enlightenment
Financial Crisis
Economic Crisis
The Meeting of the Estates
Short Term - Government Reform
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Long Term - Dismantling the Monarchy
Execution of the King
The October Days
Changing Laws
The Terror
The Flight to Varennes
Napoleon
Three estates
The First Estate - The Clergy
The Second Estate - The Nobility
The Third Estate - The Commoners
Consists of around 150,000 people
~150 bishops, 25,000 monks, 40,000 nuns, and 50,000 lower clergy (including parish preists)
In charge of running the churches, and educating the people about religion. They reinforced the kings divine right to the throne
The Monarchy
Some of the higher ranking clegry had important positions in government, however a large portion were parish priests who were very poor
Owned around 1/10th of the land
The Clergy got money through land taxation, as well as tithes through the church
Privileges
Not Subject to the Taille (main tax)
Couldn't be enlisted in the military
Tried in separate courts made up of other members of the third estate
Consisted of around 400,000 people
The Noble Landowners of France, many of the older families had won land from the monarchy through their participation in war
A few newer families had overtaken older families through business.
Privileges
Not Subject to tax, but were expected to serve the king's army as officers in the event of a war
Owned around a third of France's land, and rented out to the third estate. collected lots of money through rent
Consisted of around 23 million people, the other 95% of france
The farmers, the peasantry, factory workers and the like.
Most likely didn't own any land - rented from the second estate
No money to act as support, in the event of a crisis the third estate would be the first to suffer
No Privileges or power: they must join the army in the event of a war, and were still subject to all of the major taxes
Around 10% were the land and business owners of France that were not tied to a noble family. called the Bourgeoise
W.I.P.