Final answer:
The system dividing French society into three estates was part of the feudal system of the ancien régime. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, who made up about one percent of the population but owned ten percent of the land and were largely exempt from taxes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Three Estates of France: Clergy, Nobility, and Commoners
The system that divided France into three different social classes or estates was a cornerstone of the nation's feudal system and underpinned the ancien régime prior to the French Revolution. This societal structure was central to the functioning of the Estates General, the legislative assembly representing these three estates.
The First Estate was made up of the clergy, which constituted about one percent of the population. This segment wielded substantial power, owning around ten percent of French lands and enjoying various privileges, including exemption from many forms of taxation. The First Estate derived significant wealth from tithes and other fees imposed on the public, making it an influential force in French society.
A focal point of discontent and revolutionary fervor stemmed from the inequity of this system, where the burden of taxation fell primarily on the Third Estate, the largest of the estates, which comprised around 95 to 97 percent of the population, including peasants, urban laborers, and the bourgeoisie. Meanwhile, the Second Estate, composed of the nobility, also enjoyed tax exemptions and controlled a substantial portion of the country's land.