peninsulares

Peninsulares were Spanish-born individuals who lived in the Americas during colonial times. They held the highest social and political status, often occupying important government, church, and administrative positions. Their privileged status stemmed from their birthplace in Spain (the Iberian Peninsula), and they dominated economic and political power over the mixed or locally born populations, such as creoles. The peninsulares represented the elite class within colonial society, often viewed as the genuine Spaniards, and their dominance contributed to social divisions and tensions during the colonial period.