Estates-General: The Estates-General was the national assembly of France that was convened in 1789 in response to the financial crisis faced by the French monarchy. It was composed of representatives from the three estates of the realm: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people (the Third Estate). The Third Estate was the largest and most populous of the three estates, but it had the least political power. The Estates-General was charged with finding solutions to the financial crisis, but it was also a forum for debate about political and social reform. The Third Estate eventually declared itself a National Assembly and adopted a new constitution for France, ushering in the French Revolution.