Estate General Assembly

The Estate General Assembly, also known as the General Estates Assembly, was a representative body in France during the Ancien Régime. It consisted of representatives from the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. This assembly played a significant role in the lead up to the French Revolution.

Background

- The Estate General Assembly was established in the 13th century as a consultative assembly to advise the king.
- It had no fixed structure or regular meetings and was convened by the king whenever necessary.
- Each estate had its own separate assembly, and they were brought together in the Estate General Assembly when important matters needed to be discussed.

Composition

- The First Estate: The clergy, which included bishops, abbots, and other high-ranking members of the Catholic Church.
- The Second Estate: The nobility, which consisted of aristocrats and high-ranking officials.
- The Third Estate: The commoners, which encompassed the majority of the population, including peasants, merchants, and urban workers.

Role and Functions

- The Estate General Assembly was responsible for advising the king on matters of taxation, legislation, and policy.
- Each estate had one vote, and decisions were made by a majority vote.
- The assembly provided a platform for each estate to voice their grievances and concerns, allowing for a more inclusive decision-making process.
- It was seen as a way to balance the power of the king and ensure the representation of different social groups.

Significance

- The Estate General Assembly became a symbol of the inequality and unfair representation present in the Ancien Régime.
- The Third Estate, representing the commoners, felt marginalized and demanded a more significant role in decision-making.
- The assembly's inability to address the grievances of the Third Estate led to the formation of the National Assembly, a pivotal event in the French Revolution.

In conclusion, the Estate General Assembly was a representative body in France that brought together the three estates to advise the king on various matters. Its composition and functions played a crucial role in the lead up to the French Revolution, highlighting the discontent and inequality within French society at the time.

1. The estate general was a political body of France to which the three estates sent their representatives. The voting in it had been conducted according to the principle of each estate had one vote. 2. When in 1789, Louis XVI called a meeting of Estate General, he decided to continue the same old practice. 3. But the members of third estate demanded that voting now be conducted on the democratic principle of one person,one vote. 4. When the king rejected this proposal, the members of Third Estate walked out of assembly in protest. 5. They assembled on 20 June, 1789 in the hall of an indoor tennis court in Versailles. These representatives of Third Estate viewed themselves as spokesman for whole French nation. They declared themselves a National Assembly.