USA HISTORY

MAKING OF A NEW NATION 1776 1800

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which of the following people would have been a member of the second estate?
A
Louis XVI
B
A Catholic priest
C
A wealthy nobleman
D
A poor farmer
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -France’s nobles comprised the Second Estate. These were individuals with noble titles.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Second Estate consisted of the nobility of France, including members of the royal family, except for the King. Members of the Second Estate did not have to pay any taxes. They were also awarded special priviliges, such as the wearing a sword and hunting.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Second Estate consisted of the nobility of France prior to the French Revolution. Although only a small proportion of the population, these aristocrats held vast amounts of wealth and dominated key government posts.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Second Estate was composed of members of the aristocracy and historians debate its size. Some scholars have suggested the group numbered between 350, 000 – 400, 000, while others have proposed it could be half that (totally roughly 1-1.5% of the total population).

Detailed explanation-5: -The First Estate consisted of Roman Catholic clergy, and it was by far the smallest group represented in the Estates-General. The Second Estate represented the nobility, which comprised less than 2 percent of the French population.

There is 1 question to complete.