Glossary of The French Revolution - Social Classes

Social Classes

  • Royalty – House of Bourbon, After the Empire was established.
  • Nobility (noblesse) – Those with explicit noble title. These are traditionally divided into
    • "noblesse d'épée" ("nobility of the sword")
    • and "noblesse de robe" ("nobility of the gown"), the magisterial class that administered royal justice and civil government, often referring to those who bought a title of nobility (rich merchants).
  • Ci-devant nobility – Literally "from before": nobility of the ancien régime (the Bourbon kingdom) after it had lost its titles and privileges.
  • Bourgeoisie – Roughly, the non-noble wealthy, typically merchants, investors, and professionals such as lawyers.
  • Active and passive citizens – During the period of the Legislative Assembly, approximately half of the men of France were disfranchised as "passive citizens". Only "active citizens", a category based on taxes paid, could vote; they also formed the basis of the National Guard.
  • Sans-culottes – literally "those without breeches", the masses of Paris.
  • Peasants, who represent 90 percent of the French nation's population.

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