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The Three Estates of France The Three Estates of France France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: 1. the First Estate (clergy) 2. the Second Estate (nobility) 3. the Third Estate (commoners). The king was above the Estates. First Estate The First Estate was made up of the entire clergy, traditionally divided into "higher" and "lower" clergy. Although there was no formal difference between the two categories, the upper clergy were clerical nobility (from the families of the Second Estate). In the time of Louis XVI, every bishop in France was a nobleman. At the other extreme, the "lower clergy" (about equally divided between parish priests and monks and nuns) constituted about 90 percent of the First Estate, which in 1789 numbered around 130,000 (about 0.5% of the population). Quick Facts: Made up of religious leaders who were in charge of the Church. First Estate made up 1% of total population. Controlled 10% of all land in France (charge rent from peasants) Church received a tithing (10% tax from people that lived on their land to run the church) It often funded their personal lives. The Three Estates of France France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: 1. the First Estate (clergy) 2. the Second Estate (nobility) 3. the Third Estate (commoners). The king was above the Estates. Second Estate The Second Estate was the French nobility and (technically, though not in common use) royalty, other than the monarch himself, who stood outside of the system of estates. The Second Estate is traditionally divided into "noblesse de robe" ("nobility of the robe"), the magisterial class that administered royal justice and civil government, and "noblesse d'épée" ("nobility of the sword"). The Second Estate was approximately 1.5% of France's population. Under the ancien régime, the Second Estate were exempt from the corvée royale (forced labour on the roads) and from most other forms of taxation such as the gabelle (salt tax) and most important, the taille (the oldest form of direct taxation). This exemption from paying taxes led to their reluctance to reform. Quick Facts: Made up of French Nobility that lived on rich manors that were inherited. 1.5% of the population but controlled 25% of the land. Nobles collected taxes and rent from the peasants who lived on their lands. The Three Estates of France France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: 1. the First Estate (clergy) 2. the Second Estate (nobility) 3. the Third Estate (commoners). The king was above the Estates. Third Estate The Third Estate comprised all those not members of the above and can be divided into two groups, urban and rural. The urban included the bourgeoisie, who made up 98% of France's population, as well as wage- laborers (such as craftsmen). The rural had no wealth and yet were forced to pay extremely high taxes compared to the other Estates and were unhappy because they wanted more rights. Quick Facts By far the largest group in France – 97% of the population but 0% of land. Few rights and little political power. Paid 10% tithing to the church, rent to feudal lord, land tax to the king. Very little money left to support their families. .
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