With the intensified dependence on enslaved Africans and with the Spanish crown against the enslavement of indigenous, except in the occasion of rebellion, slavery became connected with racial hierarchy and race, with Europeans toughening their concepts of racial ideologies. Once Spain obtained control of large areas in America, they suddenly began to apply Spanish culture, religion, law, and hierarchy.
EXPLANATION:
Definitions of the main casta groups of colonial Spain are described below:
• Españoles were people of pure Spanish descent. Those who born in the Americas were Criollo/Criolla and those who born in Spain were Peninsular. A one-eight rule happened where Criollo status could be achieved by people of mixed blood who have eighth or less Indian descent.
• Indios/Indians were people of pure Indian Ancestors. It was unlawful to dominate Indians, yet they could be strained to work on government’s strategy and plans, such as roads, fortresses, and churches, such work was seen as a form of taxation. Because there was no partition between state and church in colonial Spain, the work is done for the church was the same as the work done for the government.
• Mestizos/Mestizas had one Indian and one Spaniard parent. This term inferred illegality at the time of the Spanish acquisition, but mixed-race children of the next generation born in marriage were commonly given a Spanish or Indian identity (i.e., Indio or Criollo), relying on the culture where they were raised in.
• Castizos/castizas had one Spanish parent and one Mestizo parent. Castizo and Españole (Criollo or Peninsular) children were commonly accepted as Criollo.
• Cholos/Cholas had one Mestizo parent and one Indian parent. Cholo is also a word for the coyote.
• Mulattos / Mulattas had one Black and one Spaniard parent. If mulattoes were born into slavery (i.e., their mother is a slave), they would also become slaves, but if their mothers were free, they were free. If one parent was Spanish and one mulatto, the child was a quadroon, and there were various other terms for different proportions of black ancestors. For people with complex racial inheritance where the simple term did not exist, the term pardo/parda could be used.
• Zambos / Zambas had one Black person and one Indian parent.
• Negros/Negras are people of African descent. Because enslaving Indians is illegal, only African ancestors can be called slaves. But realistically, many Indians were strained to work on the church and government plans, but such work was thought as tax, not slavery.
LEARN MORE
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:
• What role did religion play in the Spanish conquest of Latin America? brainly.com/question/7069022
• How did Spain's conquest of central Mexico and the Andes shape European competition in the Americas? brainly.com/question/4972263
KEYWORDS : Spanish Colonialization, racial hierarchies
Subject : History
Class : 7-9
Sub-Chapter : Spanish Colonialization