Colección de Documentos Inéditos Relativos al Descubrimiento, Conquista y Organización de las Antiguas Posesiones Españolas de Ultramar. Tomo 6, De La Isla De Cuba, III

This volume gathers a remarkable series of original papers that illuminate the early days of Cuba under Spanish rule. Among the documents are memoranda from Bartolomé de las Casas, petitions warning of the devastating impact of gold‑mining on the island’s native population, and the royal decrees that followed. The collection also includes census figures, reports on settlement patterns, and correspondence that reveal how colonial officials tried to balance economic ambition with humanitarian concerns.

Listeners will hear the voices of 16th‑century administrators, clergy, and local leaders as they grapple with issues such as forced labor, disease, and the shifting fortunes of towns like Bayamo and Santiago. The material offers a vivid snapshot of a colony in transition, showing how policies on indigenous welfare, urban development, and trade began to shape Cuba’s social landscape. The careful transcription preserves the quirks of the original print, giving an authentic sense of the period’s bureaucratic rhythm.