Estates-General

The Estates-General was a legislative assembly representing the three estates of French society: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate). It was convened by King Louis XVI in May 1789 to address the financial crisis facing France and to propose solutions for the country's fiscal woes. The Estates-General had not been called since 1614, and its convocation marked a significant moment in French history.

The meeting of the Estates-General quickly became a focal point for the growing discontent among the Third Estate, which comprised the vast majority of the population but had little political power. The Third Estate demanded greater representation and the abolition of the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and nobility. When their demands were not met, they declared themselves the National Assembly, signaling the start of a new phase in the French Revolution.

The transformation of the Estates-General into the National Assembly was a pivotal moment in the revolution, as it marked the shift from a system of representation based on social hierarchy to one based on popular sovereignty. This change laid the groundwork for the revolutionary changes that would follow, including the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. The Estates-General remains an important symbol of the struggle for political representation and equality in the early stages of the French Revolution.