French Revolution · World History

What was the primary grievance of the Third Estate regarding the voting structure of the Estates-General in 1789?

  1. The Third Estate was not allowed to vote at all
  2. Voting was by estate, giving nobles and clergy a built-in majority
  3. The King held a veto that could only be used against the Third Estate
  4. Voting was restricted to those who owned significant amounts of land
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Correct answer: Voting was by estate, giving nobles and clergy a built-in majority

In the traditional Estates-General, each of the three estates voted as a single body. This meant the clergy and nobility could always combine their two votes to defeat the reforms proposed by the Third Estate, which represented 98% of the population.

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