The three estates were the social classes of the Old Regime. The first estate was comprised of the clergy, the second estate was comprised of the nobility, and the third estate was comprised of everyone else. The third estate was by far the largest and most diverse group but had the least amount of rights in France.

What were the 3 classes of the Ancien Régime and who was in each class?

France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners). The king was considered part of no estate.

How were the classes structured within the old regime?

The social structure of the old regime consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd estate. The 1st estate consisted of the clergy, those in high positions of the church, the 2nd estate were the nobles, they had top jobs in government, army, courts and church, and the 3rd estate were the peasants.

What were the three classes during France’s Ancien Régime?





Society in the Kingdom of France in the period of the Ancien Regime was broken up into three separate estates, or social classes: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners.

Was the Ancien Régime a feudal system?

‘old rule’), also known as the Old Regime, was the political and social system of the Kingdom of France from the Late Middle Ages (c. 1500) until the French Revolution starting in 1789, which abolished the feudal system of the French nobility (1790) and hereditary monarchy (1792).

What were the 3 main social classes in France?

The old French society before the French revolution was divided on the basis of three ‘estates’ and they were as follows: Clergy. Nobility. Common people.

What was the ancien regime quizlet?



The Ancien Régime was the political and social system of the Kingdom of France from the Late Middle Ages (circa 15th century) until 1789, when hereditary monarchy and the feudal system of French nobility were abolished by the French Revolution. The Ancien Régime was ruled by the late Valois and Bourbon dynasties.

What were the social classes in the French Revolution?

Its three traditional divisions, or “orders,” were the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. Nobles ruled over commoners, but even among commoners, specific individuals (such as officeholders) or groups (such as a particular guild or an entire town) enjoyed privileges unavailable to outsiders.



Is there a class system in France?

There is no way around the importance of social classes in France. Some expressions will tend to categorize you as belonging to one class or another, so you may want to avoid them.

What are the 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th Estates?

The first estate, which is the executive branch of a government. The second estate, which is the legislative branch of a government. The third estate, which is the judicial branch of a government. The fourth estate, which is mass and traditional media, sometimes called ”legacy media.

What is the ancien regime in the French Revolution?

ancien régime, (French: “old order”) Political and social system of France prior to the French Revolution. Under the regime, everyone was a subject of the king of France as well as a member of an estate and province.

What is the definition Ancien Régime?



Definition of ancien régime
1 : the political and social system of France before the Revolution of 1789. 2 : a system or mode no longer prevailing.

What’s feudal system?

A feudal system (also known as feudalism) is a type of social and political system in which landholders provide land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and service.

What were the social classes of France called?

Feudal France was neatly divided into three social classes, or Estates, with different jobs and privileges. The clergy was the First Estate, the nobles were the Second Estate, and the peasants were the Third Estate.

What social class did commoners and peasants belong to?

Peasants inhabited the bottom tier of the Third Estate’s social hierarchy. Comprising between 82 and 88 per cent of the population, peasant-farmers were the nation’s poorest social class.

How many social classes does France have?



Public opinion surveys show that Frenchmen place themselves in four social classes; Americans only two, the working class and the middle class. Respondents describe these classes by criteria of achievement; the French bourgeois and peasant classes can be interpreted as based on criteria of ascription.

What are the 1st 2nd and 3rd estates?

France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners). The king was considered part of no estate.

Who were clergy class 9?

Clergy were the group of persons who were invested with special functions in the church, e.g. fathers, and other members of church. Second Estate: Nobility belonged to 2nd estate. Nobility was hereditary and hence a person could get nobility by birth.

What is the 4th and 5th estate?

Making reference to the medieval concept of “three estates of the realm” (clergy, nobility, and commoners) and to a more recently developed model of “four estates”, which encompasses the media, Nayef Al-Rodhan introduces the weblogs (blogs) as a “fifth estate of the realm”.

What was the Old Regime in the French Revolution?

ancien régime, (French: “old order”) Political and social system of France prior to the French Revolution. Under the regime, everyone was a subject of the king of France as well as a member of an estate and province.

What was the social structure of France during French Revolution?



Feudal France was neatly divided into three social classes, or Estates, with different jobs and privileges. The clergy was the First Estate, the nobles were the Second Estate, and the peasants were the Third Estate. The Third Estate was the largest but had few rights at all.

How was the French Revolution organized?

The revolutionaries were divided into two factions: the moderates, who were willing to engage in talks with the king, and the radicals, who intended to crush the monarchy. The latter, called Jacobins, were led by Maximilien de Robespierre, a bourgeois lawyer.

What were the three classes of French society quizlet?

France’s traditional national assembly with representatives of the three estates, or classes, in French society: the clergy, nobility, and commoners.

Which three classes supported the Estates General?

The Estates General of 1789 was a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate).

What was the system called that divided France between these three estates?



the French Ancien Régime

The best known system is the French Ancien Régime (Old Regime), a three-estate system used until the French Revolution (1789–1799). The monarchy included the king and the queen, while the system was made up of clergy (the First Estate), nobles (Second Estate), peasants and bourgeoisie (Third Estate).

What is the name given to the three distinct social classes in France during the 1700s?

One of three distinct social classes in France during the 1700s: clergy, nobility, and commoners. Social class made up of clergy members (church leaders).

What were the three social classes?



Sociologists generally posit three classes: upper, working (or lower), and middle.

What was the social structure of French society?

French society was divided into three classes known as Estates with the First Estate being the clergy, the Second Estate being the nobility and the Third Estate, which included the rest of the society consisting of peasants and the middle class merchants and professionals.

Which class of society was behind the French Revolution?

The third estate also known as the third class of the French society were behind the French Revolution as there was a lot of social inequality in the French society.

Which social class did most people of France belong to?

Terms in this set (14) Old order that everyone in France belonged to one of three social classes. The First Estate was made up of clergy; the Second Estate was made of the nobility, and the Third Estate comprised the vast majority of the population.

What happened to the class system after the French Revolution?

Since most of its members were from the Third Estate, the Assembly took steps to change the class system in France and distribute wealth and influence more equally. The Assembly abolished the Ancien Régime and ended the three-estate system.