Major Enlightenment Principles

 3 Branches of Government Social Groups/Estates in Pre-Revolutionary

 Regular elections KING

First Estate
 Free Economy and trade (Archbishops,
bishops,
and priests)
 Freedom of speech
NOBILITY/ARISTOCRATS
Large landowners

Second Estate
 Right to protest who have had rich
families since the
Middle Ages/Feudalism
 Trial by jury
BOURGEOISIE
Merchants, businessmen,
and lawyers who came from
 Freedom of religion
the peasant class, but have
gotten good jobs due to the
trade caused by the
 Universal education
Crusades and the colonies of
the New World. They have
been opening businesses
Major Absolutist Principles and purchasing land with

Third Estate
their money
 Centralized Government
PEASANTS
 Divine Right Little money (many are still
living in a feudal system)
 Strict Censorship Some peasants own a small
amount of land, but with no
 Powerful military education, no government
services, they cannot vote,
 One branch of government frequently called to fight in
controls all functions wars (France keeps losing)
of government
 Outline for a just French Society
We, the ________________________ Estate, believe in the Enlightenment Principles of ________________
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Article 1: Under this new government, the following social groups will be allowed to vote: _____________
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Article 2: The powers of the king will be _____________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________
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Article 3: The following taxes will be collected from each of the following groups:
Section 1: The Clergy will have to pay _______% of their own wealth in annual taxes
Section 2: The Nobility will have to pay _______% of their own wealth in annual taxes
Section 3: The Bourgeoisie will have to pay _______% of their own wealth in annual taxes
Section 4: The Peasants will have to pay _______% of their own wealth in annual taxes
Article 4: The clergy will have the following special rights or privileges ____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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Article 5: the Nobility will have the following special rights or privileges ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 5: the 3rd Estate will have the following special rights or privileges ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 6: The army will only be used against citizens if _______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 7: Education will be available to ______________________________________________________
And will be paid for using money that comes from ______________________________________________
 Notes on the Meeting of the Estates General at the Palace of Versailles, 1789

Directions: Choose three issues from the above sheet and consider the opinion each estate has on it.

Topic one:_____________________

First Estate (Clergy) Second Estate (Nobility) Third Estate ( Bourgeoisie and Peasantry) Results of
the Vote

Topic two:_____________________

First Estate (Clergy) Second Estate (Nobility) Third Estate ( Bourgeoisie and Peasantry) Results of
the Vote

Topic three:_____________________

First Estate (Clergy) Second Estate (Nobility) Third Estate ( Bourgeoisie and Peasantry) Results of
the Vote