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.