Ancien Regime | No Ads |

Intellectuals like Voltaire and Rousseau began questioning the legitimacy of absolute power and the inequality of the estate system, advocating for reason, liberty, and meritocracy.

Making up 98% of the population, this group included wealthy bourgeois merchants, urban workers, and rural peasants. Despite their numbers and economic contribution, they bore the brunt of the nation's taxation and had virtually no political voice. Political Absolute Monarchy ancien regime

The nobility and clergy consistently blocked attempts at tax reform, leaving the monarchy unable to solve its financial woes without further burdening the already starving Third Estate. Conclusion advocating for reason