Andrew Conner Patrick Blancero Richard Kitain Nicole Maetta Daria Labazova

98% of people belong to the Third Estate The bourgeoisie made up the first group composed of merchants and artisans Well educated and believed strongly in the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality Some were as rich as nobles but paid high taxes and lacked privileges like the other members of the Third Estate Many felt that their wealth entitled them to a greater degree of social status and political power. The working class citizens such as cooks and servants formed the second group They were poorer due to low wages and being frequently out of work, and so often went hungry Peasants formed the largest and third group – more than 80% of France’s 26 million citizens They paid half their income in dues to nobles, contributions to the Church, and taxes to the king’s agents

Feudal system established during Middle Ages Divided the people of France into three estates First estate – clergy Second Estate – nobles Third Estate – contained three groups(artisans and merchants in one group, cooks and servants in another, peasants in the last)

 Economic Woes High taxes made it impossible for Third Estate to conduct profitable business Cost of living increased Bad weather in 1780’s caused crop failure  Weak Leadership Louis XVI and his wife did not deal with the countries debt until they were fully bankrupt

The French Revolution triggered a lot of rebellion. From Bastille, violence spread throughout the French countryside In no time, rumors started to circulate amongst the common people that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasants Created a senseless panic amongst the people and sparked rebellion and more fighting In uprisings against their lords, peasants went to extremes Many would break into their manor homes and tear up the legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues Some burned down the lords’ houses or killed the nobles out of fear and anger