The social class system of Latin America goes as follows from the most power and fewest people , to those with the least amount of power and the most people: Peninsulares
During most of the colonial era, Spanish American society had a pyramidal structure with a small number of Spaniards at the top , a group of mixedrace people beneath them, and at the bottom a large indigenous population and small number of slaves, usually of African origin.
What are the 4 levels of Spanish colonial society?
The Spanish colonies consisted of a caste system of peninsulares, Creoles, mestizos and mulattoes, and Native Americans and Africans .
How was Spanish colonial society organized?
How was the Spanish colonial society structured? Spanish colonial society was divided into a caste system . ... Mulattos were at the bottom of the society structure and were those made up of mixed European and African heritage. Enslaved peoples were also Mulattos, and people in this class tended to be very poor.
Who was at the top of Spanish colonial hierarchy?
Peninsulares, people from Spain , were at the top of the social structure, followed by creoles, or people of Spanish descent born in the Americas. Mulattoes were people of mixed African and European descent, while mestizos were of mixed Indian and European descent; these groups were in the middle.
What was the second highest social class in colonial Mexico? Because the peninsulares regarded the creoles as second-class citizens, the creoles strongly disliked the higher class. There were many multiracial groups beneath the peninsulares and creoles.
How did the Spanish treat the Native Americans?
Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain . He told King Ferdinand that in 1515 scores of natives were being slaughtered by avaricious conquistadors without having been converted.
What was the Spanish colonial economy based on?
During the Spanish colonial period, the economy was based on exploitation, both of land and of Native American labor . The first Spanish settlers organized the encomienda system by which Spaniards were given title to American land and ownership of the villages on that land.
What were the main goals of Spanish colonization?
Core historical themes. Motivations for colonization: Spain’s colonization goals were to extract gold and silver from the Americas, to stimulate the Spanish economy and make Spain a more powerful country . Spain also aimed to convert Native Americans to Christianity.
Which of the following was the highest class in Spanish colonial society quizlet?
Peninsulares , people from Spain, were at the top of the social structure, followed by creoles, or people of Spanish descent born in the Americas.
What was the highest class of new Spanish society?
Within the primary estates, hierarchies of social rank existed. Thus the highest level of the nobility consisted of the grandees who were the social equals of the king.
What were the two groups who were at the bottom of the Spanish society?
Distinctions were made between criollos, those born in the Americas, and peninsulares , those born in Spain. Criollos were considered inferior to those who came from the mother country. Those persons of mixed race – Indian and Spaniard – known as mestizos, were one of the most rapidly growing groups in frontier society.
What was the name given to the Spanish colonist living in America?
The Spanish colonization of the Americas began under the Crown of Castile and was spearheaded by the Spanish conquistadors . The Americas were invaded and incorporated into the Spanish Empire, with the exception of Brazil, British America, and some small regions of South America and the Caribbean.
The lowest class was the poor . The poor were unskilled laborers, indentured servants, or slaves.
What was a major difference between the Spanish encomienda system and the Spanish caste system in Americas?
What was a major difference between the Spanish encomienda system and the Spanish caste system in the Americas? The encomienda system was based on using Native Americans for forced labor , while the caste system was based on a diverse and racially mixed population.
What is the role of Spanish Colonial?
Spanish colonial missions in North America are significant because so many were established and they had lasting effects on the cultural landscape. ... The Spanish missions, like forts and towns, were frontier institutions that pioneered European colonial claims and sovereignty in North America .
