How important was the part played by the Third Estate in the French Revolution up to 1793?

The Third Estate would become a very important early part of the French Revolution. But the dramatic inequality in voting—the Third Estate represented more people, but only had the same voting power as the clergy or the nobility—led to the Third Estate demanding more voting power, and as things developed, more rights.

Why was the Third Estate so important?

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.

Why was it important for the Third Estate to have the Estates General meet as a single body?

The Third Estate wanted the estates to meet as one body and for each delegate to have one vote. The other two estates, while having their own grievances against royal absolutism, believed – correctly, as history was to prove – that they stood to lose more power to the Third Estate than they stood to gain from the King.

What was the problem with the 3 estates system?

Answer: The members of the Third estate were unhappy with the prevailing conditions because they paid all the taxes to the government. Further, they were also not entitled to any privileges enjoyed by the clergy and nobles. Taxes were imposed on every essential item.

What was the Third Estate before the Revolution?

The Third Estate. A common depiction of the Third Estate, carrying the burden of the other Estates. Before the revolution, French society was divided into three estates or orders: the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobility) and Third Estate (commoners).

What was the role of peasants in the Third Estate?

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.

How did the Third Estate influence public opinion?

The Third Estate was granted a double representation — that is to say, out of a thousand deputies the Third would have as many as the clergy and nobility combined. In short, the Court and Necker did everything they possibly could to turn public opinion against them, without gaining any advantage for themselves.

Who are the members of the Third Estate?

The First Estate was comprised of the clergy, the Second Estate the nobility, and the Third Estate everyone else. 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.