PRE-REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE
BEFORE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, NO OFFICIAL CONSTITUTION HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE FEUDAL KINGDOM OF FRANCE WAS AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY, TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY THE KING OF FRANCE. DURING THESE TIMES, A SOCIAL ORDER HAD FORMED - THE ESTATES - AS A HIERARCHICAL PYRAMID. THE FIRST ESTATE, THE CLERGY, PAID NO TAXES; 0.5% OF THE POPULATION WAS IN THE FIRST ESTATE. THE SECOND ESTATE, THE NOBILITY, PAID NO TAXES; 1.5% OF THE POPULATION WAS IN THE SECOND ESTATE. THE THIRD ESTATE, CONSISTING OF EVERYONE ELSE, PAID ALL OF THE TAXES; 98% OF THE POPULATION WAS IN THE THIRD ESTATE.
BELOW, YOU WILL FIND A GUIDE TO THE THREE ESTATES OF THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE, PROVIDED BY "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY."
BELOW, YOU WILL FIND A GUIDE TO THE THREE ESTATES OF THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE, PROVIDED BY "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY."
PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DIRECTLY QUOTED AND IS NOT MINE; THEREFORE, IT SHOULD NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE 1,200 WORD LIMIT.
THE FIRST ESTATE (THE CLERGY)
THERE WERE ENORMOUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT THE VARIOUS GROUPS OF THE CLERGY EARNED; THE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS EARNED 500,000 LIVRES PER YEAR. A PARISH PRIEST EARNED BY CONTRAST, ONLY 2% OF THIS AMOUNT, AND A VILLAGE PRIEST EARNED 750 LIVRES P.A. - AN EQUIVALENT OF .15% OF THIS AMOUNT. THESE SALARIES REFLECT THE ENORMOUS DIFFERENCES IN THE EARNINGS OF THE FIRST ESTATE. IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT THE HIGHEST POSTS, USUALLY THE BISHOPS, ONLY WENT TO THE WEALTHY, AND NOT TO REAL MEN OF THE CHURCH. THESE POSITIONS HIGH UP IN THE CHURCH ENABLED LARGE DISPLAYS OF POMP AND CEREMONY, SOLIDIFYING THEIR POSITION AS MEN TO BE REVERED AND AWED.
BY COMPARISON, THE EARNINGS OF THE CLERGY WERE STILL FAR IN EXCESS OF WHAT A SKILLED CRAFTSMAN WOULD HAVE EARNED – 200 LIVRES P.A. THE CLERGY ALSO RECEIVED VAST AMOUNTS OF INCOME VIA THE CHURCH TAX ON ALL PRODUCE – THE TITHE. 100 MILLION LIVRES WERE PAID THIS WAY.
IN EXCHANGE FOR ITS INCOME, THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH ON VILLAGE LIFE WAS PIVOTAL; TO SUPPLY EDUCATION, HELP THE POOR AND RUN THE HOSPITALS. THE CHURCH BELL WAS USED ON MANY OCCASIONS; TO START THE WORK DAY, AS A SIREN FOR THE POLICE AND AS A FIRE ALARM.
BY COMPARISON, THE EARNINGS OF THE CLERGY WERE STILL FAR IN EXCESS OF WHAT A SKILLED CRAFTSMAN WOULD HAVE EARNED – 200 LIVRES P.A. THE CLERGY ALSO RECEIVED VAST AMOUNTS OF INCOME VIA THE CHURCH TAX ON ALL PRODUCE – THE TITHE. 100 MILLION LIVRES WERE PAID THIS WAY.
IN EXCHANGE FOR ITS INCOME, THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH ON VILLAGE LIFE WAS PIVOTAL; TO SUPPLY EDUCATION, HELP THE POOR AND RUN THE HOSPITALS. THE CHURCH BELL WAS USED ON MANY OCCASIONS; TO START THE WORK DAY, AS A SIREN FOR THE POLICE AND AS A FIRE ALARM.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"
THE SECOND ESTATE (THE NOBLES)
THE LIFESTYLE OF THE SOME OF THE NOBLES REFLECTS HOW WEALTHY THEY WERE. MANY LIVED INDOLENT LIFESTYLES AND HAD MANY SERVANTS DOING JOBS WHICH THEY COULD HAVE DONE THEMSELVES; PUTTING ON CLOTHES, BRINGING WARM DRINKS AND WRITING LETTERS. THEY LIVED IN ENORMOUS CHATEAUX WHICH OFTEN REMAINED EMPTY, AS THEY WERE EITHER AWAY IN PARIS, OR WERE FULL OF GUESTS. THE RICHEST OF THE NOBLES EARNED APPROXIMATELY 20,000 LIVRES PER YEAR. THIS TYPE OF NOBLE DIDN’T CARE ABOUT HIS WORKERS AND HELD ON TIGHTLY TO HIS FEUDAL PRIVILEGES.
NOT ALL NOBLES WERE IN THIS POSITION, HOWEVER. ALTHOUGH ALL NOBLES WERE ABLE TO FORGO THE PAYMENT OF MOST TAXES, HAD THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT PEASANTS PAID THEM TAXES IN PRODUCE OR CASH, HAD THE RIGHT TO HUNT, WOULD ALWAYS BE SERVED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW IN A LEGAL DISPUTE, AND WERE ABLE TO SECURE TOP JOBS IN GOVERNMENT OR THE ARMY, MANY NOBLES WERE ACTUALLY POOR.
A RENOWNED HISTORIAN SUGGESTS THAT AS MANY AS 60% OF THE NOBILITY FOUND IT HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WERE UNABLE TO PAY EVEN THE SMALLEST TAX, OR REPAIR THEIR HOUSES. SOME WERE LIKELY TO CALL ON THE CHURCH FOR CHARITY. 5000 FAMILIES WERE TOO POOR TO OWN ANY LIVESTOCK AT ALL. THE RANGE OF SALARIES OF THE NOBILITY WAS A VAST AS THE CLERGY, RANGING FROM 20,000 TO 500 LIVRES PER ANNUM.
A NUMBER OF NOBLES WERE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN IN MINING AND TRADING, AND VERY DISSIMILAR TO THE INDOLENT RICH.
NOT ALL NOBLES WERE IN THIS POSITION, HOWEVER. ALTHOUGH ALL NOBLES WERE ABLE TO FORGO THE PAYMENT OF MOST TAXES, HAD THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT PEASANTS PAID THEM TAXES IN PRODUCE OR CASH, HAD THE RIGHT TO HUNT, WOULD ALWAYS BE SERVED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW IN A LEGAL DISPUTE, AND WERE ABLE TO SECURE TOP JOBS IN GOVERNMENT OR THE ARMY, MANY NOBLES WERE ACTUALLY POOR.
A RENOWNED HISTORIAN SUGGESTS THAT AS MANY AS 60% OF THE NOBILITY FOUND IT HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WERE UNABLE TO PAY EVEN THE SMALLEST TAX, OR REPAIR THEIR HOUSES. SOME WERE LIKELY TO CALL ON THE CHURCH FOR CHARITY. 5000 FAMILIES WERE TOO POOR TO OWN ANY LIVESTOCK AT ALL. THE RANGE OF SALARIES OF THE NOBILITY WAS A VAST AS THE CLERGY, RANGING FROM 20,000 TO 500 LIVRES PER ANNUM.
A NUMBER OF NOBLES WERE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN IN MINING AND TRADING, AND VERY DISSIMILAR TO THE INDOLENT RICH.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"
THE THIRD ESTATE (THE MIDDLE CLASSES)
IN THE 18THC, EVERYONE WHO DID NOT BELONG TO THE CLERGY OR NOBLE CLASSES BELONGED TO THE THIRD ESTATE. THIS INCLUDED THE: MIDDLE CLASS, URBAN WORKERS, PEASANTS AND LANDLESS WORKERS. THE MIDDLE CLASSES WERE MADE UP OF FAMILIES OF BANKERS, SHIP OWNERS, MANUFACTURERS, MERCHANTS, TRADESMEN, SHOP KEEPERS AND WORKSHOP MASTERS. SOME OF THEM EARNED HIGH WAGES – CLOSE ENOUGH TO COMPARE WITH THE NOBILITY. THEY INDICATED THAT FRANCE HAD MOVED FROM BEING A COUNTRY WHOSE WEALTH CAME FROM AGRICULTURE ALONE. IT WAS IN THIS SET THAT THE DESIRE TO HAVE A SAY IN THE RUNNING OF THE COUNTRY BECAME MOST STRIDENT.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"
THE THIRD ESTATE (THE URBAN WORKERS)
URBAN WORKERS WORKED FOR LOW WAGES. SOME WORKED IN DECENT SURROUNDINGS, BUT MANY MORE WERE OFTEN IN POOR CONDITIONS IN WORKSHOPS OR FACTORIES. JOB SECURITY WAS LOW, AS ANY DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY MEANT THAT THEY WERE LIKELY TO LOSE THEIR JOBS AND THEIR WAGE. WORKING-CLASS LIVING AREAS WERE OFTEN DIRTY, UNSANITARY AND OVERCROWDED.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"
THE THIRD ESTATE (THE PEASANTS)
IT APPEARS THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO FELL INTO THIS CATEGORY WERE EXTREMELY POOR: TINY PIECES OF LAND ON WHICH TO ATTEMPT TO GROW FOOD, VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF LIVESTOCK AND STILL HAVING TO PAY HEAVY TAILLES AND OTHER TAXES. THIS MEANT THAT IN GENERAL, THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE DRESSED IN RAGS AND STARVING. THEY ATE THE COARSEST OF FOOD AND MAINLY FORAGED IN THE WILD IN ORDER TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR DIETS. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE LARGEST PART OF THEIR PRODUCE WAS PAID IN SOME FORM OF TAX, SO THEY HAD VERY LITTLE LEFT OVER FOR THEMSELVES. THEY CERTAINLY RARELY ATE MEAT. HOWEVER, THEY DIDN’T LOOK FOR CHARITY, SEEMING RESIGNED AND APATHETIC TO THEIR FATE. THERE WAS A FAIRLY AFFLUENT GROUP OF PEASANTS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF FRANCE, BUT NOT IN THE CENTRE OR THE NORTH.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"
THE THIRD ESTATE (THE LANDLESS LABOURERS)
TWO MILLION PEOPLE WERE KNOWN AS THE DREGS OF FRENCH SOCIETY IN THE 18TH C; SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND SERVANTS. HOWEVER, AS CASUAL LABOURERS, MOWING, WOODCUTTING, WORKING IN THE VINEYARDS,
THEY WERE AN IMPORTANT PART OF FRENCH ECONOMY. THEY WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE BY WORKING HARD, ESPECIALLY DURING HARVEST TIMES, BUT STRUGGLED TO EXIST WITHOUT PAID INCOME. THESE PEOPLE ALSO PAID TAXES, YET IT WAS WIDELY FELT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T.
THEY WERE AN IMPORTANT PART OF FRENCH ECONOMY. THEY WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE BY WORKING HARD, ESPECIALLY DURING HARVEST TIMES, BUT STRUGGLED TO EXIST WITHOUT PAID INCOME. THESE PEOPLE ALSO PAID TAXES, YET IT WAS WIDELY FELT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T.
CREDIT: INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "YEAR EIGHT HISTORY"