Why was the estate system unfair?

Asked by: Adam Sampson

They lived a life of poverty and food insecurity, meaning they frequently did not have enough food to feed their families. The success of the higher estates was therefore dependent upon the work that the 3rd Estate individuals performed to essentially keep the country running. This created an unfair tip in the scales.

Why was the Estates General unfair?

The third estate found this to be unfair because the had very little money, while the wealthy were not being taxed. The Church also had money, but were not required to pay taxes.

What was the problem with the estate system?

One of the first issues that came up at the Estates General was how they would vote. The king said that each estate would vote as a body (each estate would get 1 vote). The members of the Third Estate did not like this. It meant that they could always be outvoted by the much smaller First and Second Estates.

What was so unfair about belonging to the 3rd estate?

Regardless of their property and wealth, members of the Third Estate were subject to inequitable taxation and were politically disregarded by the Ancien Régime. This exclusion contributed to rising revolutionary sentiment in the late 1780s.

What was unfair about the taxation of the Third Estate?

It was inefficient because many taxes were collected by a network of private contractors dubbed ‘tax farmers’, a system that encouraged graft, corruption and tax avoidance. It was unfair because the bulk of the nation’s direct taxation was levied on the Third Estate.

Why was the Estates-General government system unfair in France at this time period?

They lived a life of poverty and food insecurity, meaning they frequently did not have enough food to feed their families. The success of the higher estates was therefore dependent upon the work that the 3rd Estate individuals performed to essentially keep the country running. This created an unfair tip in the scales.

Why did the Estates-General of 1789 end in failure?

The Estates-General of 1789 ended in failure because the Third Estate (commoners) refused to accept the decision made by majority vote where the First… See full answer below.

What was the argument between the estates over?

Maximilien de Robespierre Page 11 11 11. An argument between the Estates broke out during the meeting of the Estates- General. What was the argument over? The voting process could not be agreed upon at the Estates General.

How was the estate system a cause of the French Revolution?

By 1789, the estates system had begun to anger the citizens of the third estate as they resented their position within French society. The third estate was forced to pay heavy taxed while the other two did not and many in the peasant class felt as though they were being crushed by the clergy and nobility.

What was the major issue with the French estates system?

The nobles and the clergy were largely excluded from taxation while the commoners paid disproportionately high direct taxes. The desire for more efficient tax collection was one of the major causes for French administrative and royal centralization. The taille became a major source of royal income.

What were the problems of the Third Estate?

Answer: The members of the Third estate were unhappy with the prevailing conditions because they paid all the taxes to the government. Further, they were also not entitled to any privileges enjoyed by the clergy and nobles. Taxes were imposed on every essential item.

What was the estate system?

Definition of Estate System
(noun) A stratified system consisting of the clergy, nobility, and commoners; with interlocking legal rights and obligations.

What was the Third Estate taxed for?

The members of the third estate had to pay direct tax to the state known as ‘taille’. Indirect taxes were imposed on tobacco, salt and many other everyday items. Thus, the third estate was seething with financial difficulties. There was the rise and emergence of many social groups in France in the eighteenth century.

Why were the first and second estates considered privileged?

In the Ancien Régime, the First and Second Estates were often referred to as the ‘Privileged Orders’ because these estates controlled disproportionate amounts of power and wealth.

What did the second estate want?

Whereas the King sought tax reform, the First and Second Estates sought to protect their power and privilege. The Third Estate wanted greater representation and greater political power to address issues of inequality. After weeks of dissent, no agreement was reached and the meeting of the Estates-General was disbanded.