eighteenth century: the 1700s Spain conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521 and established the colony of New Spain, with Mexico City as its capital. At its height in the late 18th century, New Spain stretched south from present-day western Canada through North America, west of the Mississippi and including the Caribbean, to the northern tip of South America. (Spain's South American territories were administered under the separate Viceroyalty of Peru.) New Spain: the Spanish colonies of the Western Hemisphere north of present-day South America administered: managed or run by pertained: had to do with social reality: the actual relationship between groups of people; what people's day-to-day lives were like in terms of relationships Spain maintained control of its colonies by imposing two legal systems: one that pertained to Europeans (the república de españoles) and one for native peoples (the república de indios). In practice, racial mixing produced a much more complicated social reality. As a result, social status in colonial Mexico was the result of a caste system based on differences in wealth, inherited rank, culture, and skin color. European-born Spaniards received the greatest social privileges and legal protections. The next tier included Criollos, also known as Creoles (Mexican-born people of Spanish descent who were considered white). Below them were people of mixed European and Indian ancestry, known as mestizos, and indigenous people (Indians of many different cultures and languages). Finally, there were people of African descent, many status: your place in society, determined by wealth and culture permeable: able to get through Spanish descent: people whose ancestors were all born in Spain African descent: people whose ancestors were born in Africa