Notes

1. Because of the unequal structure of French government and society.
There was great unrest in France, caused by bad harvests, high prices, high taxes, and disturbing questions raised by the Enlightenment ideas of Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire. Under this system, the people of France were divided into three large social classes, estates.

2. It’s a social and political structure that created inequality in French Society. The king was at the top of the social structure and three social groups called estates were under him. The1st Estate is at the top and the 3rd is at the bottom.

3. King Louis XVI (16th) – shy and indecisive but not cruel. Queen Marie Antoinette – from Austria which made her unpopular with the French people Lived at the extravagant palace of Versailles, 10 miles outside of Paris.

4.Frivolous (silly, materialistic) and self-indulgent (selfish, pleasure-seeking). She enjoyed lavish parties and fancy clothes while many of the common people wore rags and lived in poverty.

5. Made up of the Roman Catholic clergy (people who worked for the church: monks, priests, bishops, archbishops, etc.), made up about 1% of the population. Privileges: only the church could try them for crimes so they did not have to answer to the same laws as everyone else, did not have to pay taxes, church also owned lots of land (10% of France) which made many high ranking clergy rich and powerful.

6. The nobility/aristocracy (people with inherited titles such as lord/lady, duke/duchess, count/countess, etc). Made up less than 2% of the population and controlled most of the country’s wealth but paid few taxes. Privileges: controlled key positions in military/government, many lived on large estates where peasants did all the work but the nobles collected all the profits. Some lived in luxury at Versailles with the king, their only jobs were ceremonial.

7. 97% of the population, made up of several groups (top: bourgeoisie, middle: sans culottes, bottom: peasants). They paid the majority of taxes but were not allowed any role in the government and had no special privileges.


8. The top of the Third Estate, city dwelling merchants, factory owners, and professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.). Some were rich and highly educated but they were not allowed to participate in the French government.

9. Middle of the Third Estate, artisans and workers such as shoemakers, carpenters, bricklayers, dressmakers, laborers. They were named after the long pants they wore for physical work. Needed to work to survive.


10. Peasants! They farmed the nobles’ fields and paid rent and fees to the nobles while also paying a tenth of their income to the church. Also forced to perform labor for the gov. without pay. Miserably poor, life was a constant struggle.