312 CE - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Photo of the Day
Closeup of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica.
In the News
Leftist Rousseff Narrowly Wins Second Term in Brazil
Pro-Europe Parties Secure Big Election Win in Ukraine: Exit Polls
Canada Parliament Shooter Made Video, Driven by Ideology: Police
Britain Ends Combat Role in Afghanistan, Last US Marines Hand Over Base
Hospitals Need Time, Training to Get Ready for Ebola
Pro-Europe Parties Secure Big Election Win in Ukraine: Exit Polls
Canada Parliament Shooter Made Video, Driven by Ideology: Police
Britain Ends Combat Role in Afghanistan, Last US Marines Hand Over Base
Hospitals Need Time, Training to Get Ready for Ebola
Quote of the Day
"Reconciliation and forgiveness are matters of the heart. They cannot be forced on the people". --Graeme Leung
Song of the Day
Artist - Howlin' Wolf
Album - Moanin' in the Moonlight
Film of the Day
Director - Gus Van Sant
Starring - Alex Frost, John Robinson
Wiki of the Day
Casta (Spanish: [ˈkasta], Portuguese: [ˈkaʃtɐ, ˈkastɐ]) is a Spanish and Portuguese term used in 17th and 18th centuries mainly in Spanish America and Spanish Philippines to describe as a whole the mixed-race people which appeared in the post-Conquest period. A parallel system of categorisation based on the degree of acculturation to Hispanic culture, which distinguished between gente de razón (Hispanics) and gente sin razón (non-acculturated natives), concurrently existed and worked together with the idea of casta.
The system of castas, or genízaros, was based on the principle that the character and quality of people varied according largely to their birth, color, race and origin of ethnic types. The system of castas was more than socio-racial classification. It impacted every aspect of life, including economics and taxation. Both the Spanish colonial state and the Church expected more tax and tribute payments from those of lower socio-racial categories.[1][2] In Latin America, a person's socio-economic status generally correlated with race or racial mix in the known family background, or simply on phenotype (physical appearance) if the family background was unknown. Many wealthy persons and high government officials were of peninsular (Iberian) background, while African or indigenous ancestry, or even just dark skin, generally correlated with poverty and inferiority. Therefore, the whiter the heritage a person could claim, the higher in status they could claim; conversely, darker features meant less opportunity.
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