What did the second estate want?
Samuel Coleman
Updated on May 09, 2026
Whereas the King sought tax reform, the First and Second Estates sought to protect their power and privilege. The Third Estate wanted greater representation and greater political power to address issues of inequality. After weeks of dissent, no agreement was reached and the meeting of the Estates-General was disbanded.
Who was the second estate and what did they do?
The Second Estate consisted of the nobility of France, including members of the royal family, except for the King. Members of the Second Estate did not have to pay any taxes. They were also awarded special priviliges, such as the wearing a sword and hunting.What did the first estate want?
The First Estate occupied a prestigious place in the social order. Belief in God, religion and the afterlife dominated late 18th century Europe, so for ordinary people the church and its clergy were the only avenues for understanding or accessing God and the afterlife.What did each estate want?
The king said that each estate would vote as a body (each estate would get 1 vote). The members of the Third Estate did not like this. It meant that they could always be outvoted by the much smaller First and Second Estates. They wanted the vote to be based on the number of members.What was the purpose of the 2nd estate during the Middle Ages?
The "Second Estate" was the Nobility (those who fought = knights). It was common for aristocrats to enter the Church and thus shift from the second to the first estate.Second Estate in France
What was one advantage of being a member of the second estate?
The biggest advantage of being a member of the Second Estate in France was that such members qualified for significant tax breaks, and many members...What did the three estates do?
This assembly was composed of three estates – the clergy, nobility and commoners – who had the power to decide on the levying of new taxes and to undertake reforms in the country. The opening of the Estates General, on 5 May 1789 in Versailles, also marked the start of the French Revolution.What did the three estates want?
Estates GeneralWhereas the King sought tax reform, the First and Second Estates sought to protect their power and privilege. The Third Estate wanted greater representation and greater political power to address issues of inequality.