4. Describe the formation of multicultural societies in European colonies

Many different people from the Old World arrived in the Americas, specifically African slaves and Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Spanish explorers arrived in Mexico after facing hardships upon arrival in the Americas, such as a lack of resources and a harsh environment. African slaves worked on plantations. However, migrants in the Americas were mostly men; less than 15% of the population was female. As a result, the European men mated with the indigenous women, creating a mixed society. This created a social hierarchy, with the Europeans on top, with Creoles (Euro-indigenous) following, with African mixes, such as zambos, next, and slaves on the bottom.