 identify
the social classes
 describe
the difficulties in life
in eighteenth-century France
T. Chan, October 2010
T. Chan, October 2010
 Upper
class
 Middle
 Lower
class
class
English Society
 Aristocrats
/
Nobles
 Bourgeoisie
 Peasants
French Society
T. Chan, October 2010
France is bordered on three sides by water.
The climate, large land area, lots of rainfall, and
fertile soil make it possible to grow many
different crops.
The majority of the population farmed for a
living and owed the most of their produce to
the seigneur.
Much of the land was owned by the Catholic
Church and the aristocrats.
T. Chan, October 2010
Ruled by absolute monarchy
 Society was divided by feudal
hierarchy

GOVERNMENT
T. Chan, October 2010


Parliament that included representatives
from all three estates
French Society was organized like a
pyramid:
◦ Monarch
◦ First estate = clergy
◦ Second estate = aristocrats
◦ Third estate = bourgeoisis
T. Chan, October 2010



Much of the land was owned by the royals,
First Estate, and Second Estate
4 out of 5 people farmed for a living, but
most of their produce went to their seigneur
(the lord and landowner of the feudal estate)
Unlike the Industrial Revolution that was
taking place in Britain, France still had
medieval farming tools and methods
T. Chan, October 2010
• owned small plots of land (with medieval farming
methods)
• few could read or write
• did not have many possessions or money
• victims of epidemics and famine
• no access to education
• forced to spend part of their time working on the
seigneur’s land and on government projects
T. Chan, October 2010
•By
1700s, around 600,000 people lived in Paris
•Most people came to Paris from the countryside,
mainly to search for work.
•Guilds controlled the work, but if a person wasn’t part
of a guild, there could be no work for him/her.
•Everyone had to live with inflation.
T. Chan, October 2010


Paid workers had to
spend half of their
incomes on food.
There were many
people living in
poverty: slums,
beggars, vagrants,
thieves.

Merchants and
aristocrats showed
off their wealth.
T. Chan, October 2010



Important to the
economy because they
invested in new
business ventures.
Some people held
monopolies.
France was divided into
many different districts
that had their own
tariffs and tolls.
T. Chan, October 2010
 identify
the social classes?
 describe the difficulties of life
in eighteenth-century France?
 SO
WHAT? How might the
structure of French society
lead to discontent?
T. Chan, October 2010


Cranny, Michael. Crossroads: A Meeting of Nations. PrenticeHall: Toronto. 1998.
Images taken from:
◦ http://www.art.com/products/p12370584-sai1741558/nordmann-french-aristocrats-of-the-mid-17thcentury.htm
◦ http://www.frenchengravings.com/product_info.php?products_id=6963&language=
en
◦ http://www.glogster.com/jullyc/elements-of-civilization/g6mflfc4720md9ltgg67kpa0
◦ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_Opera_circa_1865.jpg
◦ http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/royal-government/
T. Chan, October 2010