The National Assembly and the Estates-General Quiz

Understanding the Third Estate and the Estates-General

• The Third Estate found that the royal decree allowing for double representation was only marginally beneficial since it did not grant equal weight to their votes compared to the other estates.
• This estate refused to accept the imposed rules because they felt these rules would perpetuate the existing imbalance of power, effectively undermining their influence.
• The Estates-General was convened by King Louis XVI in an attempt to address the country’s financial crisis.
• The First and Second Estates held double representation in the Estates-General, which granted them a significant voting advantage.
• The three estates represented included the Clergy (First Estate), the Nobility (Second Estate), and the Commoners (Third Estate).
• Upon discovering the imposed rules skewed in favor of the higher estates, the Third Estate took assertive actions, which included establishing the National Assembly to represent the will of the people.
• The Third Estate had double representation as a result of the royal decree aimed at reforming the Estates-General, although this favored the interest of the higher estates.
• The primary purpose of convening the Estates-General was to discuss and find solutions for the financial issues facing France, highlighting the government's need for reform.

Test your knowledge on the establishment of the National Assembly during the French Revolution. Learn about the Estates-General and the representation of the different estates.