Mexicans on this side, Puerto Ricans on the other. Good nuff'?
At the top of Spanish colonial society were the
In Spanish and Portuguese colonies, the people who were on top of the social hierarchy were the peninsulares - individuals who were born in Spain or Portugal. They held the highest positions in government, the church, and society.
The four social classes in the Spanish colonies were peninsulares, creoles, mestizos, and Indians.
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In Spanish colonial society, the most power was held by the peninsulares, who were Spanish-born individuals residing in the colonies. They occupied the highest social, political, and economic positions, often serving as colonial administrators and landowners. Below them were the criollos, who were of Spanish descent but born in the colonies, followed by mestizos, indigenous peoples, and enslaved Africans, who had significantly less power and rights. This hierarchical structure reinforced the dominance of the peninsulares in colonial governance and society.
The role of government in an organized society is to impose law and order. Without a government, an organized society would cease to be organized.
Spanish colonial society was divided into a caste system. Creoles were the middle class and were generally excluded from high office in both church and state.
Society in the Middle colonies was very liberated.
Peninsulares are at top of society and came to Mexico from Spain. They held the most important government jobs, and made up the smallest number of the population. Criollos were the next highest in society. They were people of Spanish descent who were born in Mexico. They were prohibited from having the highest government posts. They eventually resented the fact that their opportunities were limited by the peninsularies.
The Catholic Church in Spanish America and the religious leaders in the British colonies impacted the community by setting examples of how people should live. Religion has always played an important role in society.
The laws of the Indies were put into effect in order to regulate and govern the Spanish colonies in the Americas. They were aimed at organizing and controlling the administration, economy, society, and colonization of the new territories.