Caste Systems

Definition

Caste systems were social hierarchies based on race and ancestry that determined a person's social status, rights, and privileges. In Spanish America during the colonial era, caste systems were used to classify people into different racial categories.

Related terms

Peninsulares: Spaniards born in Spain who held the highest social status in Spanish America.

Criollos: People of Spanish descent but born in the Americas who had less privilege than Peninsulares.

Mestizos: Individuals of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry who occupied an intermediate position in the caste system.