3.1- The Three Estates
Revolutions
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Bourgeoisie's Investment Strategies in 18th Century France
- In 18th-century France, ambitious members of the rising bourgeoisie didn't reinvest their wealth in trade.
- Instead, they sought to elevate their social status by purchasing land or venal offices (government positions).
- This shift in investment strategy reflects the social dynamics of the Ancien Régime, where upward mobility meant aligning with the existing power structures of land ownership and government office.
- This upward mobility created new problems as the bourgeois landowners enforced feudal claims more diligently than the old aristocratic owners.
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