With the conquest of Mexico and the establishment of colonial New Spain came widespread change. The conquistadors, the newly established Spanish government, and the Church flipped the social order upside-down and established new structures in every aspect of the natives' lives. Those who, in the old order, were wealthy and well-respected struggled to survive while the lower class fell even farther. Under the new system people of all classes and ranks—whether well-respected, royal, or poor—had to find a way to survive. The newly implemented social and economic structures in New Spain forced people of varying previous social status to make major adjustments in order to integrate as a means of survival.
One important example of social integration in New Spain is well illustrated in Donald Chipman's article "Isabel Moctezuma: Pioneer of Mestizaje." The daughter of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma, Isabel was the princess of an empire. She was destined for greatness within the old......
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