On May 5, 1789, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General. As a result, though the Third Estate was vastly larger than the clergy and nobility, each estate had the same representation—one vote. Inevitably, the Third Estate’s vote was overridden by the combined votes of the clergy and nobility.

What rights did the 3rd estate have?

The rural peasantry made up the largest portion of the Third Estate. Most peasants worked the land as feudal tenants or sharecroppers and were required to pay a range of taxes, tithes and feudal dues. A much smaller section of the Third Estate were skilled and unskilled urban workers, living in cities like Paris.

Why was the Third Estate upset about the voting process in the Estates General?

They also wanted to remain free from taxation. 3rd Estate -> The 3rd Estate was upset about the unfair voting in the Estates General (they were 95% of the population but only have 1 vote.) Louis called the Estates General because he was a weak ruler who was “bullied” into it by the wealthy/powerful social classes.

How did the Third Estate differ from the other estates?

The Third Estate was thus a vastly larger proportion of the population than the other two estates, but in the Estates General, they only had one vote, the same as the other two estates had each.

What was the role of the Third Estate in the French Revolution?

They played a vital role in the early days of the French Revolution, which also ended the common use of the division. The Three Estates Sometimes, in late medieval and early France, a gathering termed an ‘Estates General’ was called. This was a representative body designed to rubber-stamp the decisions of the king.

What was the makeup of the first and second estates?

The First Estate was comprised of the clergy, the Second Estate the nobility, and the Third Estate everyone else. Makeup of the Estates The Third Estate was thus a vastly larger proportion of the population than the other two estates, but in the Estates General, they only had one vote, the same as the other two estates had each.

What did the Third Estate do in 1614?

The Estates-General had not been assembled since 1614, and its deputies drew up long lists of grievances and called for sweeping political and social reforms. The Third Estate, which had the most representatives, declared itself the National Assembly and took an oath to force a new constitution on the king.