Transcription of The Three Estates Information sheet - UCL
1 UCL Museums & CollectionsFor use for non-profit educational purposes onlyThe Three EstatesInformation sheetBefore the revolution in France,a time known as theAncien Regime,society was divided into Three distinct classes, known as the Estatewas the clergy, who were people, including priests,who ranboth theCatholicchurchand some aspects of the additionto keeping registers of births, deaths and marriages, theclergy also had the power to levy a 10% tax known as Estateconsisted of the nobility of France, includingmembers of the royal family,except for the of theSecond estate did not have to pay any taxes. They were alsoawarded special priviliges, such as the wearing a sword and the clergy, they also collected taxes from the Third Estatewas made up of everyone else, from peasantfarmers to the bourgeoisie the wealthy business theSecond estate was only 1% of the total population of France, theThird estate was 96%, and had none of the rights and priviliges ofthe other two believe that one of the reasons the French Revolutioncame about was the disatisfaction of members of the Third estate ,who wanted a more equal distribution of wealth and power.
2 UCL Museums & CollectionsFor use for non-profit educational purposes onlyThree Estates Worksheet
