Question

Name the three Estates into which the french society was divided before the revolution

Answer 1

France under the Ancien Régime (beforethe French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners). The king was considered part of no estate.

Answer 2

Answer:

The French Society was divided into the following three estates:

• The Clergy
• The Nobility
• The Commoners

Explanation:

Prior to the French Revolution, during the Ancien Regime, society was split into three distinct groups known as the Three Estates.

1. First Estate

• The clergy, which included priests, ruled both the Catholic church and some sections of the country, making up the First Estate.
• The clergy had the authority to impose a 10% tax known as the tithe in addition to keeping birth, death, and marriage registries.

2. Second Estate

• Except for the King, the Second Estate was made up of France's nobles, including members of the royal family.
• Members of the Second Estate were exempt from paying taxes.
• They were also given particular rights, such as the ability to use a sword and hunt.
• They, like the clergy, were responsible for collecting taxes from the Third Estate.

3. Third Estate

• Everyone else, from peasant farmers to the bourgeoisie - the wealthy business class – made up the Third Estate.
• While the second estate accounted for only 1% of France's total population, the third estate accounted for 96% and possessed none of the rights and benefits enjoyed by the other two estates.