latin+america

1.[| espirit on latin american colonies] 2. [|brazil notes] 3. [|reforms notes]

--> The Spanish colonies developed a racially-determined social caste system, while back on the Spanish mainland feudalism was practiced. The caste system was largely determined by race, while feudalism was determined by military might, hereditary status, and wealth. Both strongly-defined hierarchies subjugated the lower classes and featured slaves or serfs.
 * compare the social system that emerged in the spanish colonies with the system that existed in spain.**

The impact of Spanish colonization was immense, and it forever altered the religion, politics, economy, and social structure of the region. Religion was used to justify the conquest, and once the missionaries arrived they wiped out the indigenous population, despite the efforts of some missionaries who defended native culture. A European-style church hierarchy developed, and there was no seperation of church and state, so much so that church leaders were involved in government and were able to set up a branch of the Spanish Inquisition. Politically, church leaders were very involved, as were Spaniards. Spanish settlers were granted encomiendas, grants of native laborers who they could govern and punish as they saw fit .Laws tended to contradict eachother and be difficult to enforce, until the Recopilación codified the laws. A bureaucracy was developed that featured viceroys who had extensive military, judicial, and legislative powers.
 * summarize the impact of spanish colonization in the americas.**