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U2. Political and Social Organization

MARIA DEL CARMEN MAN

Created on October 27, 2025

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Transcript

Unit 2.

Political and Social Organization

New Spain Society

Draw the pyramid you imagined while reading the previous paragraph

WHO RULED THE NEW SPAIN ON BEHALF OF THE KING OF SPAIN?

USE CAPITAL LETTERS

Discover how the New Spain was organized

Map interpretation

Octavio Paz

'El mexicano no quiere ser ni indio, ni español. Tampoco quiere descender de ellos. Los niega. Y no se afirma en tanto que mestizo, sino como abstracción: es un hombre. Se vuelve hijo de la nada”.

New Spain Social Pyramid

Natives
Criollos
Peninsulares Spaniards
Mestizos

Society in the New Spain

Society in the New Spain

Society in the New Spain

Society in the New Spain

Society in the New Spain

Sorry!

5 Slavery

Activities

Plantations, ranches and mining. Women usually performed house chores.

Social Status

Origin

Just upper classes were able to acquire slaves. They were a sign of wealth and status
African slaves came mainly from West and Central Africa.
Discover how the New Spain society was organized

Castas?

Well Done!

Government and Society

In New Spain, political and social organization were closely intertwined, replicating the Spanish system. The viceroy, appointed by the Spanish crown, ruled as the highest authority in the colony, supported by councils and local officials, mostly Spaniards born in Spain (peninsulares), who held top government and social positions. Indigenous peoples occupied the lower social strata but maintained some local autonomy within the "República de Indios," where traditional governance structures coexisted with colonial rule. Africans, primarily enslaved, were at the bottom of the hierarchy with no political power, subjected to forced labor and social exclusion. The rigid caste system based on race and origin determined social status, legal rights, and life opportunities, consolidating the dominance of peninsulares and limiting political influence to a small elite while marginalizing indigenous peoples and Africans.

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How did the New Spain political distribution change over time?

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Criollos

People of Spanish descent born in the Americas. They were wealthy landowners, merchants, and professionals but ranked below the peninsulares in social status and political power.

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry. Mestizos generally had fewer rights and social privileges, often working as artisans, small farmers, or laborers. Their status was below criollos but higher than pure Indigenous peoples.

Peninsulares

People born in Spain, considered the highest social class. They held the most important political, administrative, and religious positions in the colony with privileges and authority over other groups.

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Natives

The original inhabitants of the land, placed near the bottom of the social hierarchy. They were often subjected to tribute, forced labor, and conversion to Christianity but retained some community autonomy under colonial rule.

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Caste system organized the New Spain society according to their racial origin and the mix among them. Therefore, many categories were created and explained in the well-known paintings of "Castas." However, this idea has been rebuked by many historians in the light of new findings or the lack of evidence...