Sieyès entry, Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911

What it is

This is an entry on Sieyès from the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. It covers his birth in Fréjus, his education and clerical career, and his rise to prominence through his pamphlet on the Third Estate.

Why it matters

Written over a century after the Revolution, this entry reflects how later historians summarized Sieyès's importance as one of the chief theorists of the revolutionary and Napoleonic era. It highlights his famous line about the Third Estate being 'everything' yet politically 'nothing', showing how his words became central to how later generations understood the Revolution's causes.

Look closer

• How might an encyclopedia written in 1911 view Sieyès differently than people who lived through the Revolution?
• Why do you think the entry quotes Sieyès's famous line about the Third Estate?
• What kinds of details might a short reference entry leave out about a long life?