1. Pre-colonialized Aztec Social Pyramid Royalty Nobility Warriors Commoners and Slaves 1% 18% 80%

2. Colonial Era Social Pyramid After Cortes and his army conquered the Aztecs in 1521, they and other Spaniards ruled the colony of New Spain for the kingdom of Spain. Peninsulares Creoles Mestizos Indians 1% 3% 95%

3. Independence Social Pyramid Except for the peninsulares, each class on the social hierarchy had reasons to resent Spanish rule. Mestizos and Indians started a revolt for independence in 1810; criollo leaders took over the movement and won independence from Spain in 1821. Criollos Mestizos Indians 18% 21% 61%

4. Contemporary Social Pyramid Because of the Mexican revolution, social and economic class lines began to blur. Formerly racial terms evolved to take a cultural meaning. For example, the majority of Mexicans today are mestizos culturally and racially. Yes, racial mestizos may be socioeconomically poor, middle class, or wealthy. Moreover, many racial Indians have been brought up in urban mestizo culture and speak only Spanish Upper class Middle Class Lower class 5% 35% 60%