Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Third Estate
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Painting by Auguste Couder showing a large assembly of men in formal attire gathered in a grand hall for the Opening of the States-General on May 5, 1789, at Versailles.
Quick Facts
French:
Tiers État
Date:
April 1302 - June 17, 1789
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Auguste Couder: Opening of the Estates-General, May 5, 1789
Auguste Couder: Opening of the Estates-General, May 5, 1789 Opening of the Estates-General, May 5, 1789, oil on canvas by Auguste Couder, 1839; in the Museum of the History of France, Palace of Versailles.

Third Estate

French history
Also known as: Tiers État
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Third Estate, in French history, with the nobility and the clergy, one of the three orders into which members were divided in the pre-Revolutionary Estates-General. It represented the great majority of the people, and its deputies’ transformation of themselves into a National Assembly in June 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Heather Campbell.