The document summarizes the social and political structure of 18th century Europe, known as the Old Regime or Ancien Regime. Society was divided into estates, with the first estate being clergy, the second estate being nobility, and the third estate being everyone else. The third estate faced heavy taxation and other burdens. England resisted the development of absolute monarchy to some degree, limiting royal power, though various kings still attempted to rule without Parliament. In the 1700s, the Enlightenment challenged traditional institutions through the application of reason and the ideas of progress, equality, and education of the people.

1. History 4th
of ESO – I.E.S. ARCIPRESTE DE HITA- UNIT 1: THE ANCIEN REGIME
UNIT 1
THE OLD REGIME (ANCIEN REGIME)THE OLD REGIME (ANCIEN REGIME)
The Old Regime was the socio-political system which existed in most of Europe
during the 18th
century.
2. Estates society.
The society was divided into privileged estate and unprivileged estate. Estate society means
that it was impossible to access from the unprivileged estate to the privileged one. People belonged
to an estate by birth.
Cristina Sevilla Zamora

2. History 4th
of ESO – I.E.S. ARCIPRESTE DE HITA- UNIT 1: THE ANCIEN REGIME
3. Economic conditions.
European economy was based primarily on agriculture. Peasants-farmers of France bore the
burden of taxation. Often poor harvests meant that peasant had trouble paying their regular taxes.
Bourgeoisie was an heterogeneous group made up from craftsmen as blacksmith to rich
bankers or attorneys and civil sevants. Many of these well-off bourgeois were upset since they paid
taxes, while nobles did not. Sometimes they improved their social conditions thanks to an arranged
marriage: they entered nobility and ruined nobility acceded to their fortunes.
Cristina Sevilla Zamora
POPULATION PRIVILEGES EXEMPTIONS BURDENS
FIRST ESTATE
Circa 130,000 Collected the tithe Paid no taxes
High- ranking clergy
Control education
Made up by nobility
SECOND ESTATE
Circa 110,000 Paid no taxes
Nobles
THIRD ESTATE
Circa 25 millions
NONE NONE
Paid all taxes:
Everyone else: Tithe (church tax)
Taille (land tax)
Moral obligations
(not legal to assist
the poor and needly)
Censorship of the
press
Subject to church law
rather than civil law
Suport the monarchy
and Old Regime.
Owned 20% of the
land
Collected taxes in
their fief Support the
monarchy and Old
Regime
Monopolized military
and state
appoinments
Owned 40% of the
land
artisans,
bourgeousie, city
workers, merchants,
parishes and priests,
beggars
Octrot (tax on goods
brought into cities)
Corvée (forced road
work)
Feudal dues for use
of local manor's
winepress, oven

3. History 4th
of ESO – I.E.S. ARCIPRESTE DE HITA- UNIT 1: THE ANCIEN REGIME
The English Challenge to Absolutism
Not all the nations of Europe developed absolute forms of government. England, in particular,
took a different course. England had moved toward absolutism under Henry VIII, who had proclaimed
himself head of the Church of England as well as king. Henry's successors, however, especially his
daughter Elizabeth I, were less heavy-handed. She gave the appearance of obeying the wishes of
Parliamient.
Her successors, The Stuarts, decided to limit the Parliament's
power since tension grew between the Crown and Parliament after
James died and his second son (Charles I) came to the throne. When
Charles was unable to persuade Parliament to give him money, he
began imposing taxes and fines on the English people on his own.
England erupted into civil war, which finished when, in 1649 King
Charles was condemned to death and publically beheaded. Cromwell
abolished the monarchy and ran England as a “commonwealth”. After
Cromwell death, the Parliamient restored the monarchy under
Charles II who had learnt the lesson: he worked with Parliamient.
Unfortunately Charles II's brother, James, had learnt nothing and he tried to rule England
without Parliamient's help. Fearful of a Catholic dynasty, a group of nobles and parliamentary leaders
deposed James in Glorious Revolution of 1688. They offered the crown to his daughter Mary and her
husband William of Orange, a protestant Prince. Before ascending the trone, William and Mary had to
accept the English Bill of Rights and finally they became a constitutional monarchy, which accepted
the Parliament supremacy.
Cristina Sevilla Zamora

4. History 4th
of ESO – I.E.S. ARCIPRESTE DE HITA- UNIT 1: THE ANCIEN REGIME
The Enlightenment
In the 1700s a revolution in intellectual activity began to change many Europeans' view of their
societies. Philosophers began to question the traditional foundantions of European politics and
society. This change of ideas and attitudes was known as the Enlightenment.
The Enlightenment Ideas:
1. The truth could be arrived at solely by application of reason, or logical thought, to observation, a
belief known as rationalism.
2. The nature is regulated according to a uniform system of natural law.
3. People should use this knowledge to work toward perfecting both themselves and society. The
Enlightment inspired a growing sense of individualism and personal freedom, and a belief in the
basic equality of all individuals.
4. A growing faith in progress was one of the most significant outcomes of enlightened thought. They
came to believe that human life could constantly improve.
5. One target of the philosophers was the Catholic Church. Some saw the church as an obstacle to
progress since it taught people to focus attention on the afterlife instead of improving conditions on
Earth. Voltaire said that the church taught people to believe in miracles, which contradicted the laws
of nature. This new attitude toward religion in known as deism.
Philosophers used their rational arguments to question many established patterns of European
society. They emphasized the importance of education and environment in giving people the tools
needed to improve society.
Many of the philosophers believed that European judicial systems were injust and irrational and
they asked to change it. They believed that people needed education to improve their lives an society.
Under the influence of the Enlightment, many monarchs made primary education available for all
children as they thought their subjects strengthened their state.
Cristina Sevilla Zamora

5. History 4th
of ESO – I.E.S. ARCIPRESTE DE HITA- UNIT 1: THE ANCIEN REGIME
Cristina Sevilla Zamora