Tiers État

The Tiers État was the common people of France before the French Revolution, making up about 98% of the population. Society was divided into three "estates": the First Estate (clergy), the Second Estate (nobility), and the Third Estate (everyone else). The Third Estate included peasants, artisans, and bourgeoisie (middle class). They had little political power and paid most taxes, while the other estates enjoyed privileges. This inequality fueled resentment, leading to demands for political reform, which played a key role in the revolutionary movement that transformed France.