Final answer:
The castas system was a racial and social hierarchy in colonial Latin America, with Peninsulares at the top and indigenous people and slaves at the bottom. The system also included Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattos, and Zambos, categorized based on their ancestry and ethnicity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Levels of the Castas System in the Americas
The castas system was a hierarchical structure of racial classification in colonial Latin America. Here are the definitions for its various levels:
Peninsulares: Individuals born in Spain who held the highest administrative and clerical positions in the colonies.
Creoles: Descendants of Europeans born in the colonies, typically from the landed elite, dominating the merchant class and some higher clerical offices.
Mestizos: People of mixed European and Native American ancestry, often working as artisans, lower clergy or small landholders.
Mulattos: Individuals with mixed European and African descent, occupying similar roles to mestizos in society's economy.
Zambos: People of mixed African and Native American ancestry, commonly working in roles similar to mestizos and mulattos.
The two groups at the very bottom of the castas system were the indigenous people and slaves, with indigenous peoples considered as wards of religious organizations and the Crown, and slaves owned by others, typically brought from Africa.