Books of Grievances

Source: http://www.emersonkent.com/history_dictionary/cahiers_de_doleances.htm

The Books of Grievances (Cahiers de Doléances) were documents written everywhere in France before the opening of the Estates General in May 1789. Louis XVI ordered to write them to know the opinion of  his subjects and to have some guidelines for the debates in the meeting of the estates. These books are an extraordinary source of information, because they collected the concerns and demands of the different estates. In general they reflected the criticism to the structrures of the Ancien Régime and the desire for change. The most interesting books of grievances were the ones written by members of the Third Estate, but also the books written by the nobles contained demands for reform and surprisingly they were aware of the necessity of a tax reform, including the contribution of the privileged to the State finances. 

Here you have more information about the Books of Grievances: 

http://cliojournal.wikispaces.com/The+Cahiers+de+Doleances+of+1789

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahiers_de_dol%C3%A9ances

http://www.emersonkent.com/history_dictionary/cahiers_de_doleances.htm

On the following links you will be able to read books of grievances of the different estates: 

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/cahiers.html

http://history.hanover.edu/texts/cahiers3.html