"What is the Third Estate?"

The Third Estate was one of the three social classes in pre-revolutionary France, representing the common people—including peasants, workers, and middle-class citizens. Unlike the First Estate (clergy) and Second Estate (nobility), the Third Estate made up the majority of the population and had the least political power, often bearing the heaviest tax burden. Their discontent with privileges enjoyed by other estates and economic struggles contributed to the French Revolution. The Third Estate played a key role in challenging the existing social order, ultimately leading to the formation of the National Assembly and the revolutionary changes that reshaped France.