Social structure of colonial Latin America

Spanish American society was organized by a racial hierarchy:

• Peninsulares: Spanish-born, held highest offices, very small population
• Creoles: American-born of Spanish descent, owned land, conducted commerce, became revolutionary leaders
• Mestizos: Mixed European and indigenous ancestry, large population, varied social positions
• Mulattoes: Mixed European and African ancestry
• Indigenous people: The largest population in many regions, often in conditions of forced labor or debt peonage
• Enslaved Africans: Especially in plantation economies of Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean coast