And then below them on the social ladder were the poor whites, or the petite Blancs, who worked as artisans and laborers. And at the bottom were the slaves, who made up the overwhelming majority. I know what you're thinking. This is a recipe for permanent social stability. No, it wasn't. Okay, so when the French Revolution broke out in 1789, all these groups had something to complain about. The slaves obviously disliked being slaves.