1.8. The Estates General Flashcards
When was brienne forced to resign?
26th August 1788 when the state couldn’t borrow any more money
What were high bread prices fuelled by?
A catastrophic harvest which lead to widespread urban unrest in the second half of 1788 and attacks on chateaux and tax offices in rural France
What did Louis do to restore confidence in the government?
Restored necker as controller general and made him a member of the council of state
What did necker convince the king to do?
Advance the calling of the estates general to May 1789
When was the last calling of the estates?
1614
How did the parlements want the meeting of the estates general to be like?
Like the old form- voting by order and each estate sitting separately
What did the third estate want for the estates general?
Voting by head and each representative was given one vote
What did the dispute of the third estate and parlements about the third estate cause?
A storm of protest against the parlements, undermining their position in public opinion
What did the king and necker do after the protests?
They doubled the representation of the third estate
Who could take part in preliminary meetings?
Any man over 25 who was on the tax rolls, but was not a servant, actor, or bankrupt
What was a fatal error in the estates general?
The issue of what voting mechanism would be used
What happened on the 24th January 1789?
Louis requested he hear ‘the wishes and grievances of our people’ and would be recorded in the special books called cahier de doléances
How would they air their grievances?
The three estates would meet separately in each local constituency and those eligible to vote in the election would air their grievances
How many were able to become politically active for the first times?
Millions
What were the consistent messages in the list of grievances?
-need to reform the tax system
-nobility wanted to take a more leading role and limit the absolutism of the king
-clergy saw a need for a spiritual reform, but saw no need for ending privileges
-the unfairness of the system the third estate had to endure needed to be radically altered. The bourgeoise also wanted recognition in the running of the state
-the tone of the grievances was reforming in nature- they didn’t want the end the monarchy
How were the deputies chosen for the estate general?
They were chosen through an elective process that began in February 1789
What circulated the streets?
Pamphlets outlining what the third estate should try to achieve at Versailles
What was the most famous pamphlet?
What is the third estate? written by the Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, who was deputy for the third estate
What did each of the constituencies have?
A separate electoral assembly for each order
What was every constituency expected to produce?
Two clerical, two noble, and four third estate deputies
How many deputies were from the first estate?
303
What percentage of the deputies from the first estate were from the lower clergy?
75%
How many deputies were from the second estate?
282
What percentage of the second estate deputies were the most wealthiest people?
60%
What percentage of the second estate deputies were minor nobility with smaller land holdings?
33% (1/3)
How many deputies were from the third estate?
578
Who were the majority of the third estate deputies?
The bourgeoise
How many peasant deputies were there?
2, both from Brittany
How did the proceedings open?
With royal protocol and a sense of pomp and ceremony
What did the higher clergy in the first estate and the second estate want?
Each estate to meet and vote separately as they thought the first and second estate would vote the same way since they were more privileged
What did the third estate want?
They wanted all three estates to vote together as they thought that with the help of the poor priests they would outvote the higher clergy and nobles
When did proceedings begin?
4th May
