The colony was marked by a strong system of social classes.

The Spanish: this group was made of all people that were born in Spain. Just a few of them were noble but all of them had privileges. They were the only ones with possibilities to be in administrative positions.

The creoles: these people were Spaniards’ descendants. This means they were born in America, but their parents were Spanish. They were respected in terms of their wealth, which depended on the lands and Indians they owned.

The mestizos: they were people whose parents were Spanish and Indians. They could work in farms or could join the church. They were discriminated and usually lied about their origin. Mestizos, sambos, and mulattoes were treated as equals.

Indians: They were the last social class, together with black slaves. They were labor force. Most of them had to work in farms and mines to their death.