estate general

Question 1

What is an estate general

Answer 1

legislative assembly of the different estates of French society- had separate assembly for each of the three estates which were called and dismissed by the king
no true power in its own right and was not required to approve royal taxation of legislation

Question 2

What did the old procedure of the EG state

Answer 2

the estates met separately to discuss issues before voting

voting system by estate not by head

Question 3

How did the third estate want to change the procedures of the EG

Answer 3

wanted voting my head and double representation

Question 4

What concessions does Louis make about the voting prcedures

Answer 4

agrees to increase the representatives of the third estate but not change the vote

Question 5

Who wrote the pamphlet ‘What is the third estate’ and when

Answer 5

Abbe Sieyes- Jan 1789

Question 6

What was the nature of Abbe Sieyes pamphlet

Answer 6

argued that the 3rd estate was ‘everything’; it alone represented the nation
written in simple language so that the message was clear- led to a growing desire not just to have a voice in a future assembly but to act as its leaders

Question 7

How much did textile production fall by in 1789

Answer 7

50%

Question 8

How much of their wages were parisian workers spending on bread to keep alive by spring 1789

Answer 8

88%

Question 9

How many cahiers were produced

Answer 9

40,000

Question 10

What was written in the cahiers

Answer 10

most spoke about the need for more representative government
third estate cahiers more concerned about taxation and those from peasant districts tended to reflect very local and specific concerns

Question 11

Who was the first estate represented by

Answer 11

mainly parish priests

291 parish priests, 51 bishops, 16 monks/abbots and 32 others

Question 12

Who was the second estate represented by

Answer 12

majority were old traditional voters

90 of the 282 could be considered liberal, the rest conservative

Question 13

Who was the third estate represented by

Answer 13

no peasants of artisans (couldn’t support themselves without work)
40% were civil servants, 30% lawyers and 13% from trade and industry
580 in total

Question 14

What was the focus of the meetings

Answer 14

tax reform

Question 15

Why did the third estate refuse to do anything

Answer 15

wanted the EG to convene in one assembly hall

Question 16

When did the third estate declare themselves a national assembly

Answer 16

17th June

Question 17

When did the first estate vote to join the third estate

Answer 17

two days later- 19th June

Question 18

When did the King arrange a seance royal

Answer 18

23rd June

Question 19

What did the King express in the seance royale

Answer 19

declared the National Assembly and its decisions null and void
he ordered the estates to continue to meet separately
the king didn’t concede restrictions to his own power such as the abolition of lettres de cachet, no taxation without consultation, abolition of the corvee and gabelle
abolition of internal custom barriers and freedom of the press

Question 20

How many deputies met with the National Assembly on 24th June

Answer 20

151 deputies

Question 21

How many nobles joined the national assembly on 25th June

Answer 21

47 nobles