During the reign of the monarchs in France, there were three Estates, with everyone belonging to one. The Estates are social classes consisting of: the First, Second, and Third Estates. In the First Estate were the clergy or leaders of the Church. The Church owned land and individuals took care of this land for them, however they were not responsible for paying taxes on this land. They did send a small amount of money to the government each year as a gift. The First Estate was responsible for the spiritual and moral welfare of the nation, including educating the children. The Second Estate consisted of the nobles. These people were born into this position of wealth and prestige. They paid very little in taxes, despite their wealth and they had rights over peasant lands and received priority in getting top jobs in government. The Third Estate included everyone else from the middle class down, from doctors to lawyers to the homeless and poor. This was the largest Estate, with roughly 98% of the population included in it. The middle class of France is referred to as the Bourgeoisie.
|
|