This lesson examines how race, birthplace, wealth, and social connections shaped status in Spanish America. Understanding this hierarchy helps explain why independence and political change meant different things to different groups.
Spanish American society was rigidly stratified. Education, family ties, occupation, religion, wealth, and race affected a person’s position. Whiteness was associated with European ancestry and was treated as a sign of Christian and social superiority.
All flashcards
Who were peninsulares?
People of European descent born in the Iberian Peninsula. They generally enjoyed privileged access to the highest colonial offices.
Who were creoles?
People of European descent born in the Americas. Many were wealthy, but they were often kept from the most important government positions.
What did the term castas describe?
It broadly described people of mixed ancestry in Spanish America, including groups such as mestizos and pardos.
What do casta paintings reveal?
They show how colonial society classified people by ancestry and skin color and associated those categories with social position. They also reflect the biases of their creators.
What was the intendancy system?
A system in which local colonial governments were managed by intendants, generally peninsulares appointed by and reporting to the Spanish king.
Quiz questions
In what year was the independent republic of Haiti declared?Answer: 1804
In what year did Spain expel Jesuit missionaries from its American empire?Answer: 1767
What grievances helped spark the Comunero Revolt in New Granada in 1781?Answer: Increased sales taxes and Crown monopolies over tobacco and liquor.
Whom did Napoleon place on the Spanish throne after detaining Carlos IV and Fernando?Answer: His brother Joseph Bonaparte.
Which groups of men did the 1812 Cádiz Constitution extend voting rights to in the Americas?Answer: American Indian and mestizo men.
Based on World History Volume 2, from 1400 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.