State of France by the Estates-General
- Created by: lou9119
- Created on: 17-05-17 16:21
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- State of France by the meeting of the Estates-General
- Politically
- Necker and Louis, in waiting for the E-G made 4 very important decisions.
- 1) They agreed to allow the 3rd Estate to have 2x as many deputies as the other two estates.
- 2) They left the question of voting by order or head to be decided at its first meeting, a mistake. IF they voted by order the first two estates could outvote the 3rd. By head they would be equal.
- 3) They made no attempt to influence the elections.
- 4) They failed to draw up proposals for the E-G when it met.
- Necker and Louis, in waiting for the E-G made 4 very important decisions.
- Economically
- Towns
- Dramatic growth in the 18th century due to industry growth such as silk in Nimes and ports in Nantes. This led to tension in urban populations.
- Wealthy and educated lived in towns, however the majority were unskilled and poor with a dependence on bread prices.
- Conditions in 1789
- The harvest of 88 was disastrous. Weather was the coldest in living memory and food prices rose to a high point in 1789 on July 14th.
- Poor harvests or 70 and 89 increased rural poverty.
- Issue of land holding. By 1789 roughly 1/4 of French farmland was owned by small peasant farmers and much of the rest rented out in small plots. Led to subsistence farming with no incentive to improve farming. Agricultural problems affected the woollen industry which added again to rural poverty.
- Towns
- Socially
- With an unfair tax system and absolutism came another source of resentment in society; the corruption at court and in the church. The system on venality had the positive of income for the monarchy and supporters but led to corruption and blocked the advancement of those with talen.
- Complaints about the Church such as Cures complaining they were poor because they did not receive the entire tithe. Instead the archbishops, bishops, abbots kept most. This led to a problem of absenteeism and pluralism
- Absenteeism: Higher clergy not living in their dioceses, as they were pursuing political career at court
- Privileges of court nobles were resented by other nobles, whilst privileges of all nobility were resented by 'Commoners'
- Politically
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