The social hierarchy in Latin America before the Revolution was based in the casta system, which imposed racial segregation based on ethnic background.
The society was divided into the following castas:
- Peninsulares, who were Spaniards born in Europe, and held administrative positions in the colony. They made up less than 1 percent of the population but had the most power.
- Criollos, who were persons of ethnic Spanish descent, but they were born in America. They were the most prosperous economically, but the political top positions were not reserved for them. Peninsulares and criollos were by law the only groups allowed to ride horses, wear silk clothes, and enjoyed many other privileges.
- Below the criollos were the mixing groups. The law contained no less than sixteen different racial mixtures, with the main groups being mestizos (white + indian), mulattos (white + black) and zambos (black + indian). Their duties were equal to those of the criollos, but they had fewer rights.
- The fourth and largest group were the Indians. These were one step higher than slaves and were formally protected by the crown and church, but in practice the living conditions were very bad.
- At the very bottom of the ladder were the slaves, who were brought in from Africa. They had to work in appalling conditions on estates or in mines.
However, this racial and ethnic situation did not have direct consequences in relation to the Latin American independence revolutions, as they were revolutions carried out mainly by the Criollos, who sought to gain greater power in their societies.
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