HIS109Y1 Lecture Notes - Charles Alexandre De Calonne, Anti-Clericalism, Philosophes
Document Summary
The ancien regime was now defined as unnatural contrary to the laws of nature. The revolution was a true demarcation event; perhaps most significant european event up to this point. 25 million french citizens; divided into the three estates: clergy: least numerous (100,000~150,000). The lower clergy was the poor, and the great clergy came almost exclusively from aristocratic families. Most of these high clerics rarely even visited their dioceses, being closer to their aristocratic life than their clerical one. The granting of free gifts to the king (as a sort of protection money) was given to subvert the responsibility of taxation. All this made the 1st estate highly disliked: nobility: (approx. 400,000) owned perhaps a quarter or possibly up a third of all the land. The absolutist policies made their feudal responsibilities and privileges meaningless. They were now a self-indulgent group of courtiers. The rich, greedy bailiffs who took over the nobility"s land were oppressive towards the commoners.
