1774 – Royal Laws of Spanish Indies | Early South American Settlements & War

Recopilacion de las leyes de los reynos de las Indias is the official compilation of royal laws governing the Spanish Indies. Printed in Madrid, this volume collects decrees regulating colonial administration from across South America and the Philippines. It addresses Indigenous peoples in Chile, Tucumán, Paraguay, and the Río de la Plata; statutes concerning Sangleys in the Philippines; authority of viceroys and governors; military organization, presidios, and soldiers’ pay; settlement foundations; trade and mining regulations.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Recopilacion de las leyes de los reynos de las Indias
• Author(s): Spain
• Contributor(s): Antonio Perez de Soto (Editor)
• Publisher: Madrid
• Edition: Third edition, 1774
• Binding: Leather spine with marbled hardcover boards
• Format: folio, single volume
• Size:  11.25 in x 9.5 in (28.5 cm x 24 cm)
• Collation: 298 leaves
  • Volume 2 only
• Contents Include:
  • Laws concerning Indigenous peoples of Chile
  • Regulations for Tucumán, Paraguay, and the Río de la Plata
  • Statutes governing Sangleys in the Philippines
  • Powers of viceroys and governors
  • Military administration and presidios
  • Exploration, settlement, and mining laws
• Provenance: [illegible signature] Vigo de Cuba, 1898
• Reference(s): Palau 252516

Condition:

Fair. Leather spine partially detached with heavy wear and rubbing to boards. Binding shows age-related stress; text block generally secure. Pages legible and mostly clean with some worming, occasionally affecting margins without major loss of text.

Why Collect This?

• Official Spanish imperial law code
• Extensive colonial administrative content

Item Number: #50117