Which groups composed the three estates in pre-revolutionary France?

• A. Clergy; Nobles; Bourgeoisie and the Poor
• B. Clergy; Merchants; Peasants
• C. Kings; Queens; Priests
• D. Merchants; Artisans; Laborers

Answer: (A)

The Estates were a social hierarchy in pre-revolutionary France, divided into three orders: the First Estate of the clergy, the Second Estate of the nobility, and the Third Estate, which encompassed everyone else. The Third Estate included both the bourgeoise (the middle-class merchants and professionals) and the poor (peasants and urban workers), so listing “bourgeoisie and the Poor” with the clergy and nobles accurately reflects the standard split. The other options mix groups in ways that don’t correspond to the three estates: merchants or artisans and peasants are all part of the Third Estate, not separate estates; royalty like kings or queens are individuals, not an estate; and priests are part of the clergy, which is the First Estate.