Oeuvres de Don Barthélemi de las Casas, évêque de Chiapa, défenseur de la liberté des naturels de l'Amérique… (2 vols.)

Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish priest and missionary who traveled to the Caribbean and Central American, shortly after the first arrival of the Spanish, and became an outspoken proponent for the rights of native peoples and slaves. He was assigned “Protector of the Indians” by the Spanish government and is remembered as an early advocate for human rights. This 1822 publication is a rare French translation of the letters of de las Casas, prepared by Father Juan Antonio Llorente, better known for his historical account of the Spanish Inquisition. The Smithsonian Libraries holds two complete sets (two volumes each).