the three estates
The French society was divided into three separate estates.
The first estate was made up of the clergy, the highest level in
French society. The produce from the lands, as well as rent from the peasants, made them very wealthy. They did not have to pay taxes.
The second estate consists of the nobility. They collected rent from the third estate and did not have to pay taxes. They also had special privileges, such as wearing swords and hunting.
The third and last estate was made up of everyone else, from peasants to city workers. It consists of 97% of the country’s population, and had none of the rights and privileges of the first and second estate. They were not allowed to hunt and had to pay a large amount of taxes.
The first estate was made up of the clergy, the highest level in
French society. The produce from the lands, as well as rent from the peasants, made them very wealthy. They did not have to pay taxes.
The second estate consists of the nobility. They collected rent from the third estate and did not have to pay taxes. They also had special privileges, such as wearing swords and hunting.
The third and last estate was made up of everyone else, from peasants to city workers. It consists of 97% of the country’s population, and had none of the rights and privileges of the first and second estate. They were not allowed to hunt and had to pay a large amount of taxes.
Analogy of the Three Estates.
The Third is at the bottom, while the First and Second are on top.
