1789/05/05

       The French Revolution begins: Louis XVI, of the Kingdom of France, opens the meeting of the Estates-General—which had not met in over a century.  The purpose of the EG is raising taxes to replenish the treasury, which had been depleted by funding the first American Revolution.  The EG consists of three legislative houses:

• The First Estate represents the clergy comprising one-half-percent of the population;
• The Second Estate represents the nobility comprising two-percent of the population;
• The Third Estate represents the commoners comprising 97.5% of the population.

       NOTE: Any two Estates can overrule the third, thus enabling the clergy and the nobility to force the commoners to bear the entire tax burden. 

       [added 8/1/2026]