Montesquieu

That is what I have to say about Asia and Europe. Africa is in a cli­mate like that of sou­thern Asia, and she is in the same ser­vi­tude. America,1 des­troyed and newly repo­pu­la­ted by the nations of Europe and Africa, today can hardly show its own genius ; but what we know of its for­mer his­tory is very much in confor­mity with our prin­ci­ples.2

1

The small, barbaric peoples of America are called Indios bravos by the Spaniards, much more difficult to subjugate than the great empires of Mexico and Peru.

2

[The edition of 1758 adds here a chapter VIII, Annex 7.]