1.5. Social Discontents

Question 1

What division was there within the first estate?

Answer 1

Division caused by disparity in wealth between the upper clergy and lower clergy

Question 2

What resentment was there against the church?

Answer 2

For imposing tithes on the first estate and the tax exemptions they were allowed (don gratuit)

Question 3

What problems were there with the church?

Answer 3

Absenteeism, pluralism, and corruption

Question 4

What privileges did the second estate have?

Answer 4

They didn’t pay many of the direct taxes that the third estate had to pay and were able to subject peasants to feudal dues

Question 5

Why were many of the lower end of the second estate resistant to reforming the system?

Answer 5

They had bought their way in through venalities, so reforming the system would lose their status quo

Question 6

How many bourgeoise were there by 1789?

Answer 6

2.3 million

Question 7

What were the bourgeoise influenced by?

Answer 7

Enlightenment ideas and the American revolution

Question 8

What did the bourgeoise complain about?

Answer 8

The inefficiency of the internal trading system which limited trade overall

Question 9

How many serfs were there by the 1780s?

Answer 9

1 million serfs

Question 10

How many of France’s population of 28 million lived in rural areas?

Answer 10

4/5

Question 11

How many inhabitants did Paris have?

Answer 11

620,000

Question 12

Who were the most unfortunate people in cities?

Answer 12

Servants, causal labourers, street sweepers, peddlers, itinerant cobblers, sex workers, etc

Question 13

What were the most unfortunate people in cities called?

Answer 13

Bas peuple (underclass)