What were the social hierarchies and class divisions established by the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas?

What were the social hierarchies and class divisions established by the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas?

The social hierarchies and class divisions established by the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas were based on a system known as the encomienda. This system granted conquistadors and other Spanish settlers control over indigenous peoples and their labor. At the top of the hierarchy were the conquistadors themselves, followed by Spanish-born settlers known as peninsulares. Below them were the criollos, who were Spanish descendants born in the Americas. Indigenous peoples and African slaves were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. This system created a rigid class division and exploitation of the native population.