The Formation of Multicultural Societies By: Maira, Paige, Victoria

Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca Cabeza De Vaca was a Spanish nobleman who joined the expedition of some 300 explorers who went from Hispaniola to investigate Florida in 1527 They often found themselves at the mercy of the native inhabitants. Most members of the expedition perished due to the lack of food supply and the harsh climates. Cabeza De Vaca & a group of survivors built small boats to make there way across the Gulf Of Mexico to New Spain. Cabeza De Vaca was shipwrecked and washed up on the shore of Galveston, Texas where they soon became captives of the native inhabitants. For the next 8 years Cabeza de Vaca & 3 survivors lived in many different societies as slaves & sometimes as physicians, until 1536 when they found there way back to Mexico.

Mestizo Society Mestizo (mixed) All European territories became multicultural societies where peoples of varied ancestry lived together under European or Euro-American dominance About 85% of Spanish migrants were men Spanish & Portuguese migrants entered into relationships with native women, due to that the Mestizo society increased. Spanish migrants married along themselves &re-created a European-style society in less settled places Spanish men married native women which gave an increase to the Mestizo Society.

The Social Hierarchy Peninsulares (those who came from the Iberian peninsula) These were the people who stood at the top of the Hierarchy. Criollos or creoles fallow. These are individuals that are born in the Americas of Iberian parents.

North American Societies Women were numerous among the French and especially the English migrants then the Spanish and the Portuguese communities. Settlers mostly married women within their own group while French fur traders associated with the native women and metis (French equivalent for mestizo) Later on they thought of African slaves as being inferior beings. This lead to racism. Yet some people still interacted with American and African people. English settlers strongly discouraged interacting with individuals with different ancestry or mixed offspring