d then, they [the third estate] were the only ones being taxed. Being the only ones taxed the bourgeoisie were carrying France on their backs for the greater part of the 18th century. For this they wanted to gain ground into a better life "one associated with royal power" . According to the Aristocracy there was to be no hope for the bourgeoisie, they could not gain ground, ever. One had to be born into their social class, for them this was too bad. The Aristocracy believed that one could be as prosperous as they wanted and as prosperous as they could get but there was no way to socially climb the ladder. Because of this the bourgeoisie decided to look to the other members of the third estate, the peasants.There was many other Economic woes that plagued France in the 18th century. There was much poverty throughout the country, but only within the poor part of the third estate. The first and second estates were well off and could not lose their fortunes to the taxes that the third estate paid. There was much turmoil between the rich and the poor. When the poor were getting prosperous the rich would not let them climb socially. Privalige was something that every man, woman, child wanted in the 18th century desired. This was never going tobe possible without some sort of upheavle in the political system that was inplace. "But in the eighteenth century the nobility like the aristocracy tended to close its ranks." This did not allow for a prosperous person in the third estate to climb up to the second estate. After the enlightenment, social mobility was shown to be a great step into modern society. If one could move socially then there was hope into their future that one could better their lives to make them easier and more prosperous. Without this social upheaval there would be no means to the revolution.During the eighteenth century, France went through many years of economic disorder. France's treasury had been drained ...
