Many things were based on the social class of a person, such as legal and political rights, seating in the church and personal attire. In colonial Latin America, the social classes were organized in a caste system. The peninsulares were the highest caste in the Spanish colonial society. The peninsulares were at the top of the social pyramid and consisted of Spanish and Portuguese officials that were born in Europe and held all of the important government positions. 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, Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattoes, Native Americans and Africans. Even so, the Colonial Period (1492-1810) stands out as being the era that did the most to shape what Latin America is today. The social classes during the Colonial times were determined by wealth, land ownership and job titles. Given below are the main social classes of Colonial America which depicts its social … The social hierarchy here was a way of grading people based on their power, status and money. The creoles were below the peninsulares and controlled the land and business of Colonial Latin America. The encomienda system was put in place in several areas, … The three main social classes in Colonial society were the gentry, the middle class and the lower class. •The kings wanted to keep the colonies under their control and only have “loyal” people in … They were the only class of people who held public office, and they were from the mainland of Spain. With Indigenous governments such as the efficient Inca Empire in ruins, the Spanish conquistadors needed to find a way to rule their new subjects. Creoles were the next level of society, and they were those people directly descendant from Spanish blood but born in the colonies. In colonial Latin America, the social classes were organized in a caste system. •One’s social class was directly tied to how “pure” his blood was and his place of birth. There are six things you need to know about the Colonial Era. Caste and Class Structure in Colonial Spanish America. 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. Each and every period of its history is crucial in some way to understanding the present-day character of the land. Because the peninsulares regarded … Colonial Latin American Caste System •When Spanish and Portuguese colonies were established in central and south America a caste system formed. One's ranking in society also determined his political, legal and societal privileges. 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