The intellectual predominance of mulattoes at the end of Hispanic colonial domination

Abstract

The Spanish Crown, with the purpose of guaranteeing its power over Santo Domingo, established a racial policy to value and legally acknowledge whites and to undervalue indigenous people, blacks, Arabs, Jewish, mestizos, and mulattoes. During the second half of the XVIII century, at church, the militia, the royal offices, commerce and at the universities of Santo Tomás—from the order of the dominicos—and Santiago de la Paz—from the Jesuit order--, mulattoes were penetrating and occupying leading positions in spite of the Crown´s segregationist policy; this worried and frightened the Spanish authorities, as it was revealed by governor Azlor in a secret report to the King; if this situation continued, he wrote, they would take over power shortly.