One of the ruling bodies in France was called the Estates General...
One of the ruling bodies in France was called the Estates General. The assembly was organized into three divisions. The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate was the nobles, and the Third Estate was the commoners. Though the Third Estate represented almost the entire population, each Estate had only one vote. Thus, the First and Second Estate could always prevail over the Third. Once the Third Estate realized its power, which with the support of the populace, the First and Second Estate dare not act in defiance of them. The Estates General was last called to order in 1787.
