Question

Prior to the French revolution which class has the most people but the least political power

Answer 1

The third estate had the least power and the most people

Answer 2

Correct answer:  The Third Estate

The First Estate was the clergy.  The Second Estate was the nobility.  The Third Estate was everyone else.

In the days leading up to the French Revolution, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes published a pamphlet that had a huge impact in France.  The pamphlet was titled, "What is the Third Estate?"  Here's how Sieyes started that pamphlet:

The plan of this book is fairly simple. We must ask ourselves three questions.

1. What is the Third Estate?  Everything.
2. What has it been in the political order until now? Nothing.
3. What does it want to be?  Something.

The clergy (1st Estate) and nobility (2nd Estate) amounted to about 2% of the population of France in the days before the French Revolution -- but all political power was in their hands in everything.  The rest of the nation -- from lawyers and merchants down to peasants and street sweepers -- all counted as the 3rd Estate.  That body of the people made up 98% of the population. The time had come for them to take hold of their power in deciding how their country was going to operate.