The Ancien Regime: How did the three estates work? For your estate consider: 1.Who made the membership of the estate? Were there differences between members? 2.What role did the members play in French society? How powerful were they? 3.What privileges did they enjoy under the ancien regime?

First Estate Clergy – Bishops, Archbishops, parish priests (curés). Power derived from importance of religion. Privileges: Exemption from military service; Exemption from taxes (offered grants – dons gratuits – instead); Right to be tried in church courts.

Second Estate Nobility, including members of the royal family alongside provincial noblemen; traditionally landowners. Nobility of the Sword – hereditary nobles. Nobility of the Robe – status derived from job/position. Privileges: Exemption from taxes (taille, corvée); Ceremonial rights; Legal rights.

Third Estate Everyone else – university professors, merchants, tramps. Bourgeoisie – skilled classes, no privileges. Peasantry – no privileges, forced to pay feudal dues to their masters. Opportunities for wealthy/ambitious members to buy their way into 2 nd Estate.

Taxation Direct: Taille: Land Tax Capitation: Tax on people Vingtième: 5% tax on income Indirect: Gabelle: Salt tax Octrois: Tax on goods entering a town Aides: Tax on food and drink Corvée: unpaid labour service to maintain roads (in many cases, money replaced service).

Why were there inequalities in the ancien régime?

Explain why questions: 2 minutes thinking 10 minutes writing  Explaining an event  Explaining a development  Explaining an issue Testing the understanding of causation and ability to make a judgement.  3 separate reasons (with separate paragraphs)  Link between paragraphs (using vocabulary)  2/3 sentence conclusion: emphasising how the reasons inter-link  Precise supporting evidence (key dates/ names / events/ places).  Make links between the factors.