Table of Contents
What group held the highest official positions in New Spain?
Born in Spain, peninsulares held the highest jobs in government and the Church. They also owned large tracts of land as well as rich gold and silver mines. Below the peninsulares were the creoles, people born in the Americas to parents of Spanish origin.
How was New Spain governed?
Absolute monarchy
New Spain/Government
How was labor organized in New Spain?
For labor, the new rulers initially relied on the encomienda system, a system of labor in which the Spanish government awarded individual conquistadors with the labor and goods of the native people of a region. Encomienda virtually enslaved the native people.
Who were the Spanish viceroys?
Viceroys of New Spain (1535–1821)
| Viceroy | From | Monarch |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio de Mendoza | 14 November 1535 | Charles I |
| Luís de Velasco | 25 November 1550 | |
| Francisco Ceinos, Dean of the Audiencia | 1 August 1564 | Philip II |
| Gastón Carrillo de Peralta y Bosquete, 3rd Marquess of Falces | 19 October 1566 |
Who were the members of the Council of the Indies?
It was established in 1524 by Charles V to administer “the Indies,” Spain’s name for its territories….Further reading
- Burkholder, Mark A.
- Burkholder, Mark A.
- Cervantes, Fernando.
- Haring, Clarence H.
- Merriman, R.G.
- Parry, J.H.
- Schäfer, Ernesto.
Who were the new ethnic groups in New Spain?
Over time, members of New Spanish society formed new ethnic identities as Spaniards intermarried with Native Americans and Africans. A subtle castelike system developed, with peninsulares (natives of Spain) at the top of the social hierarchy.
Who discovered New Spain?
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado went to Mexico, then called New Spain, in 1535. Between 1540 and 1542, Coronado led Spaniards and native allies on a large exploration of the southwestern United States. He found the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, and other natural wonders.
Who planned the colony of New Spain?
Cortés
While flames still flickered in the shattered capital, Cortés laid plans for the colony of New Spain, whose capital he called Mexico City. Within three years, Spanish churches and homes rose from the foundations of old native temples and palaces in Mexico City.
Who established New Spain?
Therefore, in 1535, King Charles V named Don Antonio de Mendoza as the first Viceroy of New Spain. After the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532 opened up the vast territories of South America to further conquests, the Crown established an independent Viceroyalty of Peru there in 1542.
How many viceroys served in New Spain?
four viceroyalties
Viceroyalty of New Spain, Spanish Virreinato de Nueva España, the first of the four viceroyalties that Spain created to govern its conquered lands in the New World.
What was the social hierarchy of the Spanish people?
Typically a Spanish person born in Spain was measured as a peninsular and was advantaged with special facilities like social respect, top official posts and the related benefits. The Criolloscame second in the social hierarchy after the peninsular and were rich and highly educated.
What did the mestizos do in New Spain?
Usually mestizos include people with mixed Indian and Spanish upbringing and were occupied in trivial jobs. The Indioswere the people who came in the lowest rank of the social classes in New Spain. They generally used to serve the Spanish people or assist them as servants.
The social hierarchy of New Spain was not simply based on racial differences, but was a system well assimilated with diverse races and these races were notable from one another based on some fixed values and principles. The system of New Spain racial social groups were followed in New Spain from 16 th century.
Why did the Spanish refer to themselves as peninsulares?
I had to wing this a bit, but logic helped. Spain is kind of almost a peninsula like Florida or Italy, so those from Spain were referred to as peninsulares The slave one was rather obvious, and then the only one left was creoles… Hope this helps you out!