What was France called in the 17th century?

The Kingdom of France in 1789. The Kingdom of France (French: Royaume de France) in the early modern period, from the Renaissance (circa 1500–1550) to the Revolution (1789–1804), was a monarchy ruled by the House of Bourbon (a Capetian cadet branch). This corresponds to the so-called Ancien Régime (“old rule”).

How was France considered during the 1700s?

France was large in territory. In population it had around 19 million in 1700 – more than three times the population of England, perhaps six times the population of the United Netherlands, and six times the number of Finns and Swedes ruled by the king of Sweden.

How was France divided in the 17th century?

France under the Ancien Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners). The king was considered part of no estate.

Why was France so powerful in the 17th century?

The Seventeenth Century started with France stable under Henry IV. His victory in the French Wars of Religion gave him an authority that had eluded the likes of Charles IX and Henry III. Louis XIII was to build on this after 1617 as was his son Louis XIV. A forceful monarch could assert his authority over them all.

What were the conditions of 18th century French peasants?

The condition of the peasants of the Third Estate in the French society was very poor. During the Old Regime, peasants made up 90% of the population and had less than 40% of the land. The Third Estate had to pay taxes levied by the state and the church.

Was France a rich or poor country in the 18th century?

Eighteenth century. France was large and rich and experienced a slow economic and demographic recovery in the first decades following the death of Louis XIV in 1715. Birth rates were high and the infant mortality rate was in steady decline.

What was the condition of France during late 18th century?

The French society was divided into three classes called Estates. The first estate was clergy (priestly class). The second estate was nobles (rich people). The third estate was the commoners (poor and middle class people).

What really caused the 17th century French Revolution?

The upheaval was caused by widespread discontent with the French monarchy and the poor economic policies of King Louis XVI, who met his death by guillotine, as did his wife Marie Antoinette.

How were the poor treated in the 18th century?

In the 18th century those who were too ill, old, destitute, or who were orphaned children were put into a local ‘workhouse’ or ‘poorhouse’. Those able to work, but whose wages were too low to support their families, received ‘relief in aid of wages’ in the form of money, food and clothes.

Who was King of France in 1700?

Louis XV of France. Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five.

What is the French currency during 18th century?

Before 1789, and with the exception of some (disastrous) experiments with paper money early in the 18th century, France (and most of Europe) used metallic coins as currency. A wide variety of these coins circulated in the period. The “livre tournois” was the basic unit of currency in France.

What was French society like in the 18th century?

French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates , and only members of the third estate paid taxes (shown by dashed line in figure 1). The society of estates was part of the feudal system that dated back to the middle ages. The term Old Regime is usually used to describe the society and institutions of France before 1789.