They were the urban middle-class; they were the merchants/artisans and were well-educated and often wealthy.

• A. Bourgeoisie
• B. Peasants
• C. First Estate
• D. Estates-General

Answer: (A)

This item focuses on identifying the urban middle-class in late 18th-century France. The term that fits best describes the merchants and artisans who lived in cities, were well educated, and often wealthier than many others, yet did not hold noble privileges. These people formed the bourgeoisie, a segment of the Third Estate, and they played a key role in pushing for political reforms while remaining outside the nobility. They differed from peasants, who were rural and typically less wealthy; they differed from the First Estate, which consisted of clergy and enjoyed special privileges; and they are not the Estates-General, which was the assembly that represented the estates, not a social group.