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The Spanish Casta system was a racial classification system. The Casta system was created in new Spain. This system was made by the Spanish sometime in the 1520's. It was made to decide Socio-Economic status, wealth, quality of life, and level of class.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Casta_painting_all.jpg/350px-Casta_painting_all.jpg

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There are many mixed groups of people in the Casta system because of the many combinations that can occur, here are two of them.
Mestizos- These were people who had one Spanish parent and one Amerindian parent. They were often given a simple Indian or Spanish identity depending on who they were raised by.
Mulatto's- These people were born from a African parent and a Spanish parent. They could be born a slave if their mother was a slave, but if their mother was Spanish they were not a slave.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Mestiso_1770.jpg/200px-Mestiso_1770.jpg

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The Casta System was used mainly in the 17th and 18th century, but still affect some of us today.

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The only difference between these two, is that Peninsulares are pure Spaniards that were born and lived their life in Spain. Criollos were also pure Spaniards, but they were born in New Spain. Because of this, Peninsulares had higher social and economic status then the Criollos.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Criollos-Espa%C3%B1oles_Per%C3%ACodo_Colonial_en_Am%C3%A9rica.jpg/300px-Criollos-Espa%C3%B1oles_Per%C3%ACodo_Colonial_en_Am%C3%A9rica.jpg

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The Peninsular were the top of the Casta System, they had the best jobs. these guys were the top of everything, in fact only the Peninsular could get the highest positions in church and government. Even the Criollo couldn't do that.

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If your ancesters were on the lower part of the power tower, there is a chance that you might be living a similar life. Obviously you wouldn't be a slave or get beat, because slavery is illegal and the government can help you out a lot more than they would back then, but life may be challenging. Same backwards... If your ancestars were peninsulares, then you would probably be living a comfortable life.

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The obvious short term effects who did what, who controlled who... But there are some others such as what did anyone eat on a daily basis, and what sort of clothes did a certain group normally wear. In a short term of time (1 day to 100 years) it affected a specific group of people a lot. Except it is the opposite for long term.

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It mainly took place in New Spain, which is the green, but Spain also was involved by being in control of New Spain.

http://www.k12tlc.net/content/newspain.gif

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In the Spanish Casta system there were three "pure" races. The Peninsulares, the Indios, and the Negros. The Peninsulares were Spaniards from Spain, The Indios were Native Americans, the Negros were African. The Negros were often slaves. The Indios had varying jobs. The Peninsulares had the highest positions in church and government.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Cabrera_Pintura_de_Castas.jpg/250px-Cabrera_Pintura_de_Castas.jpg

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In other areas in the world nowadays people are still judged by skin color. In America you have a higher percentage to get into a collage if you are white, versus light brown or black. To get a professional job as a white man versus a black man you have an easier chance as well. This racial classification also happens in Mexico.

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Ultimately, as stated before, the Casta System decided the lifestyle you would live, or were supposed to, anyway. It was made by the Spanish, so obviously they would put themselves on the top of the power chart.

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In the Casta system there was a power chain, Peninsular are at the top, followed by the Criollo's, then the Indios, and finally the Negros, these four main positions made many combinations, but no one could move up this power ladder, nor could they move down.