Compare and contrast the society of France before & after the revolution of 1789.
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Explanation:
The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies beginning in 1789 and ending in 1799. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon who brought many of its principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and beyond. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas such as equality before the law, the Revolution made a profound impression on the course of modern history, influencing the decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies.[1] Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history.
Before the French Revolution, French society was structured on the relics of feudalism, in a system known as the Estates System. The estate to which a person belonged was very important because it determined that person’s rights and status in society. Usually a person remained in one estate for his or her lifetime, and any movement from upwards in the estate system could take many generations. The first estate was the clergy, the second estate was the nobility and the third estate was the peasants. While the peasants made up the vast majority of the people in French society, over 96%, they lacked any political or economic power. In contrast, the clergy and the nobility controlled the majority of the land in France and held all of the important positions in the government, military and church. This is the period before the French Revolution and is a time known as the Ancien Regime.
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