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What is the First Estate second Estate and third Estate

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Final answer:

The three estates of pre-revolutionary France were the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate), which faced significant inequality that led to the French Revolution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Three Estates of Pre-Revolutionary France

In 1789, France's societal structure was divided into three estates: clergy, aristocracy, and commoners. The First Estate consisted of the clergy who, despite being only 1% of the population, owned about 10% of the land and were mostly exempt from taxes. The Second Estate was comprised of the nobility who made up about 2-3% of the population but controlled a significant portion of the land and paid little to no taxes. The Third Estate included the vast majority of the population at around 95%, spanning from peasants to the bourgeoisie, who shouldered the heaviest tax burden and had little political power. Tensions over this inequality and the fiscal crisis led to the formation of the National Assembly by the Third Estate, setting the stage for the French Revolution.

User Ivan Ursul
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The First Estate consisted of members of the Catholic Church (the clergy). The Second Estate consisted of members of the aristocracy (the nobility). The Third Estate comprised all other members of french society (the commoners).France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners). The king was considered part of no estate.he First Estate consisted of Roman Catholic clergy, and it was by far the smallest group represented in the Estates-General. The Second Estate represented the nobility, which comprised less than 2 percent of the French population.This assembly was composed of three estates – the clergy, nobility and commoners – who had the power to decide on the levying of new taxes and to undertake reforms in the country. The opening of the Estates General, on 5 May 1789 in Versailles, also marked the start of the French Revolution.

User Kavin Raju S
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