The “plantocracy” was the social class composed of plantation owners, many of whom spent much or all of their time away from their plantations. French colonial administrators formed a second group, and the blanc manants, or poor whites, a third. Relatively few white women lived in the colony, especially in the lower ranks. In addition to the white population, Saint-Domingue had approximately 28,000 gens de color (French for "people of color") or franchis ("affranchis"); most were of mixed African and European descent, but some were black. A small but influential proportion of freedmen owned property and slaves. Class differences followed skin color, with darker people concentrated in the lower classes. The colonial militia reinforced the authoritarian system that kept power in the hands of the wealthy white elite..