Final answer:
In Caribbean slave societies, free Mulattos, (people of mixed African and European heritage) had higher social status than free blacks due to a social hierarchy based on skin color that was a result of European colonization. This stratification placed people of European descent and those with lighter skin at the top of the social ladder. The colour of a person's skin was seen as a marker of wealth and moral superiority.
Step-by-step explanation:
Free Mulattos, those of both African and European heritage, had a higher social status than free blacks in Caribbean slave societies due to the insidious stratification of social order based on skin color, an apparent marker of wealth and a determinant of social status, that resulted from the period of European colonization.
This rigid social stratification was most evident in Latin American societies, inclusive of the Caribbean, by the end of the eighteenth century, and was dependent not only on economic ties, but also a vast array of sociocultural factors such as education, family and professional ties, and religion. The lighter one's skin color, the higher the social status, indicating not only economic superiority but also a degree of presumed social and moral superiority. This is further compounded by concepts of racial purity in which higher value was placed on whiteness, especially when it pointed toward European ancestry.
The caste system created by the European colonizers allowed those of European descent to monopolize the highest social, economic and political positions, creating a socioeconomic pyramid. At the top of this pyramid were those of European descent, followed by Mulattos, people of mixed European and African heritage, who were included in the middle class and often held positions as managers, businesspeople, and professionals. At the bottom of this pyramid were those of African descent, free blacks and slaves alike. This is why free Mulattos had a higher social status than free blacks in Caribbean slave societies.
Learn more about Social Hierarchies in Caribbean Slave Societies