But their proposal was rejected by the king, therefore On 20th June, the representatives of the third estate assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles where they declared themselves a National Assembly.

What did members of the Third Estate do?

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. 3. A much smaller section of the Third Estate were skilled and unskilled urban workers, living in cities like Paris.

What did the Third Estate want to be recognized as?

The Third Estate wanted one man, one vote which would allow them to outvote the combined First and Second Estates.

What was the main goal of the 3rd estate?

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.

Where did the members of the Third Estate meet?

There the members of the third estate demanded individual voting right, where each member would have one vote. But their proposal was rejected by the king, therefore On 20th June, the representatives of the third estate assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles where they declared themselves a National Assembly.

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.

Where did the Third Estate live in the 18th century?

Other members of the Third Estate lived and worked in France’s towns and cities. While the 18th century was a period of industrial and urban growth in France, most cities remained comparatively small. There were only nine French cities with a population exceeding 50,000 people. Paris, with around 650,000, was by far the largest.

Where did the Third Estate swear not to disperse?

Oath of the Tennis Court: the deputies of the third estate meeting in the tennis court at the Château of Versailles, swearing not to disperse until a constitution is assured. Etching by L-F. Couché after J. L. David.