Life in the Colonies

Africans Forced into
Slavery

The colonists
treated the
Natives so badly
under slavery
that they were
dying. The
colonists
replaced them
with African
slaves.

Social Classes

The Spanish and
Portuguese had a very
strict social hierarchy.

social class - a division of

society in which the people share

similar economic, educational,

and social characteristics

peninsulares - people born in

Spain or Portugal

Who were the

creoles?

creoles - descendents of the
Spanish or Portuguese settlers

Who were

the

mulattoes

(now: mixed
race people)?

Why do you think that
the mestizos ranked
below the peninsulares
and the creoles?

Juana Ines de la Cruz

The social rules of
the time deeply
affected women’s
lives in the
colonies.

Why did Juana Ines become

a nun?

Juana Ines de la Cruz - woman
who became a nun and a writer

after being refused entry to
Mexico University, which only

accepted men

Living on a Hacienda

hacienda - large ranches or

plantations owned by
peninsulares or creoles

Why did the European rulers
end the encomienda system?

peons - people who were forced
to work on haciendas to pay off

their debts