French Society during the ancien regime Flashcards
The Structure of the Ancien Regime
- The King
2.First Estate- Clergy
3- Second estate- Nobility
4-Third Estate- everyone else
Privileges of the Church
- plurality and absenteeism
2.tithes
3.exemption from taxes
4.power over the people.
Plurality and Abseentism
Archbishops made 400,000 livers while parish priets made between 700 to 1000
multiple diocese leads to bishops not visiting areas and leaving some areas worse than others
This led to people feeling the church cared about wealth than religion
Tithes
The church owned 10% of all land in france. Leading to its wealth
tithes were payed by landowners to the church and varied wildly
The money (supposedly for the poor bishops and welfare) went to bishops and abbots.
This made people feel more like the church was interested in wealth than religion
Exemption from taxes
The church had to pay no taxes yet was incredibly wealthy. It only payed an annual payment it decided.
It was under 5% of the church’s income.
Power over the people
The church made Catholicism the state religion and controlled the education, poor relief and medical care of france.
The church acted as a ministry of information for france and controlled all published literature.
The churches strict control led to a resistance of new ideas, making more resentment from the third estate and specifically the enlightenment.
Privileges of the Nobles
- Tried in own courts
2.Exempt from forced labor
3.Monopoly right to operate things like wine presses
4.Payed much less taxes compared to third estate
5.Had power in the government
Types of Nobility
1.Court Nobility
2. Noblesse de robe
3.Provincial nobles
Lack of Privileges of the Third Estate
- Burden of Taxation
2.Unfair courts
3.Payed, tithes, feudal dues and more
Types of Nobility
1.The Bourgeoisie
2.The Peasantry
3.Urban Workers
The Bourgeoisie
Rich commoners (Buisness men, lawyers, doctors etc)
Growing in number
Felt its power and wealth should reflect/impact the political system
The Peasantry
Varied group of middle class to poor.
67% of the population
Frequently fell to absolute poverty due to bad harvests
Felt abused and uncared (Especially during times of economic crisis)
Urban Workers
Unskilled and poor workers (Small property owners and artisans)
Some were skilled craftsman apart of guilds
Decreasing wages and bad economic situation led to resentment among them.
