1. First Estate:
- Composed of the clergy.
- Comprised approximately 1% of the population.
- Enjoyed significant privileges, including exemption from taxation and the collection of tithes from peasants.
2. Second Estate:
- Composed of the nobility.
- Also made up about 1% of the population.
- Held many high-ranking positions in the government, military, and Church.
3. Third Estate:
- Encompassed everyone else in society, including the bourgeoisie (merchants, professionals, and artisans), peasants, and urban workers.
- Made up the vast majority of the population (approximately 98%).
- Subject to heavy taxation and often lived in poverty.
- Bourgeoisie: The bourgeoisie was a rising social class that included wealthy merchants, bankers, lawyers, and doctors. They had little political power but were influential in shaping public opinion.
- Peasantry: The peasantry constituted the vast majority of the French population. They lived in rural areas and were subjected to heavy taxation and feudal dues. The peasants were often in debt and lived in poverty.