Life in the Colonies

Life in the
Colonies

pg 245 - 248

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.

Multiple Choice

Which groups was the most powerful social class in the Spanish colonies?

• the creoles

• the peninsulares

• the mestizos and mixed race people

• the Natives and enslaved Africans

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?

Open Ended

How did social class position affect the way a person lived? Write in complete sentences.

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?

Multiple Choice

Where was Juana Ines born?

• Portugal

• Spain

• Mexico

• Ecuador

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

after being refused entry to
Mexico University, which only

accepted men

Poll

What do you think best shows that Juana Ines de la Cruz was an exceptional (or amazing) person?

• She learned to read at the age of 3.

• She wanted to enter the university at age 14.

• She wrote about many subjects and was widely recognized for her brilliant mind.

• She did not give up even though society's rules worked against her.

Living on a Hacienda

Multiple Choice

What was a hacienda?

• a large ranch or plantation

• a system of government

• a social class

• a Mexican restaurant

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

Open Ended

Compare and contrast haciendas and land grants. Write in complete sentences.