Week 2- Social divisions

Question 1

What was the population of France by the 1780s?

Answer 1

27 million -> It had the largest population in Europe.

Question 2

How was the population divided?

Answer 2

It was divided into ‘estates’.

The first, second and third estate.

Question 3

What was the first estate + how many ?

Answer 3

clergy,150,000 members.

Question 4

What was the second estate?

Answer 4

nobility- 200,000 to 400,000

Question 5

What was the third estate?

Answer 5

Commoners -98% population

Question 6

What duties did the First Estate have? 4

Answer 6

seen as essential for the nation’s well-being:

-carried out vital religious duties (last rites, marriages)

-controlled education

-provided care for the elderly/ poor relief

-passed on royal messages to the public so had extensive powers of censorship.

Question 7

What privileges did the church have? (4)

Answer 7

-extremely wealthy- received income from rents and dues on church lands and from church taxes.

-The church owned around 10% of land in France.

-not have to pay the ‘taille’, paid a lump sum to king called a ‘don gratuit’.

-They were prosecuted in their own Church courts.

Question 8

What division was there within the First Estate? Contrast the lifestyle of the top clergy to the bottom.

Answer 8

• variation wealth/ power.

top, cardinals, archbishops and bishops from the nobility, lived lavish lifestyle.

However, majority clergy far poorer. Sometimes, even poorer than their own parishioners.

Question 9

What duties did the Second Estate have?

Answer 9

They were required to serve and advise the King

Question 10

How much land (1) and what were the privileges of the second estate (3)?

Answer 10

• between 1/5 and 1/4 of land

-honorific privileges, could be beheaded by sword rather than hung

-did not pay the ‘taille’.

-were exempt from indirect taxes.

Question 11

Who were the noblesse d’épée

Answer 11

-nobles of the sword/ blood

Question 12

Who were the noblesse de court?

Answer 12

residence Versailles/ court

-able to access royal patronage and served as ambassadors/ councillors.

Question 13

Who were the provincial nobles? + two examples of two different types

Answer 13

-in the provinces

-included members of the King’s family (Princes of The Blood)

-Some had become impoverished (sparrow hawks ) but still kept their status so resistant to change to their privileges

Question 14

Who were the noblesse de robe and how many?

Answer 14

-venal nobility
70,000

Question 15

What did the Third Estate consist of?

Answer 15

-bourgeoisie/ commercial class
-urban workers
-peasants

Question 16

What were the bourgeoisie?

Answer 16

-higher ranks third estate, divided between haute / petite bourgeoisie.

-merchants, doctors, lawyers, non-noble office holders and teachers to artists and craftsmen.

-associated more with the higher classes (Salons)

Question 17

Who made up the lower ranks of the Third Estate?

Answer 17

-semi-skilled and unskilled town workers - relied on food prices

-peasantry in countryside.

Question 18

What arrangements did the peasants live under?

Answer 18

-worked land under a feudal arrangement with land-holding seigneur (lord)

• provided small plots of land to individuals or small groups.

Question 19

What privileges did the Third Estate have?

Answer 19

None.
They were required to pay direct and indirect taxes (the taille, the vingtième, capitation, gabelle and tithe).
They also had to pay seigneurial dues (champart and cens).
Every man was liable for military service and unpaid labour (corvée royale).
Wealthier individuals could pay their way out of this obligation.

Question 20

What did the role of intendants entail ? (5)

Answer 20

-Carrying out King’s edicts
-Organising prevots
-Presiding over local courts
-Ensured taxes paid
-Raising troops