The Third Estate: Prior To The French Revolution

In the late18tth century the Third Estate faced many grievances prior to the French Revolution which would bring many transmutations to society. The Third Estate was looked down on by others before these transmutations occurred which caused them to encounter certain hardships. The Third Estate withal contained many different classes and levels of wealth; many different vocations and conceptions; rural, provincial and urban residents alike. Members of the Third Estate ranged from lowly beggars and struggling peasants to urban artisans and laborer's; from the shopkeepers and commercial middle classes to the nation’s wealthiest merchants and capitalists. Despite its enormous size and economic consequentiality, the Third Estate was politically disregarded and economically exploited by the Ancien Régime. Louis XVI's promulgation unleashed a flood of political opinion. Hundreds of essays and political pamphlets were …show more content…
This influenced the pamphlet written by Emmanuel Sieyes, in 1789 called What is the Third Estate?, and additionally inflamed the political aspirations of the Third Estate more than any other. This Pamphlet struck a chord with France's disgruntled lower class. What is the Third Estate? sounded as rational and logical as it did compelling. It challenged traditional conceptions of both the nation and regime, and urged its readers not to be slaked with hollow promises or compromises. What is the Third Estate? proved enormously popular and became what one historian calls “a script for revolution”. At the time of this writing, there was a financial crisis in France and this became very popular amongst the people who hoped for reform. In the lead-up to the May 5 encounter, the Third Estate began to mobilize support for equal representation and the abolishment of the noble veto–in other words, they wanted ballot by heading and not by