Why did representatives of the Third Estate claim to speak for the nation?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: Because they represented the largest part of the population
The Third Estate included everyone outside the privileged clergy and nobility, including peasants, workers, artisans, merchants and the middle classes. Although its members were socially diverse, it represented roughly 95 percent of the French population. The First and Second Estates enjoyed important privileges and were much smaller, while the Third Estate carried most direct taxes and had limited political influence. When its deputies separated from the Estates General and declared themselves the National Assembly in June 1789, they argued that legitimate national sovereignty should rest on the people rather than on inherited orders. Option A gives the central reason for their claim: numerical representation and the idea that the nation consisted of the whole people. B, C and D incorrectly identify them with privileged groups or royal and Church officials.
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What is the correct answer to this question?
Because they represented the largest part of the population
Why is this the correct answer?
The Third Estate included everyone outside the privileged clergy and nobility, including peasants, workers, artisans, merchants and the middle classes. Although its members were socially diverse, it represented roughly 95 percent of the French population. The First and Second Estates enjoyed important privileges and were much smaller, while the Third Estate carried most direct taxes and had limited political influence. When its deputies separated from the Estates General and declared themselves the National Assembly in June 1789, they argued that legitimate national sovereignty should rest on the people rather than on inherited orders. Option A gives the central reason for their claim: numerical representation and the idea that the nation consisted of the whole people. B, C and D incorrectly identify them with privileged groups or royal and Church officials.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: The French Revolution. Topic: The Outbreak of the Revolution.
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