Letter of De Soto to the Secular Cabildo of Santiago de Cuba

This translation of De Soto’s letter, doubtless the first letter ever written with a Florida date line, has been made for the Quarterly by James A. Robertson, managing editor of Hispanic American Historical Review and editor of the series of volumes on Florida’s history published by the Florida State Historical Society. These include a facsimile of the first edition of the Elvas Narrative with a new translation of that early classic by Dr. Robertson himself. As De Soto’s letter bears so important a relation to our knowledge of the beginning of his exploration here in Florida, Dr. Robertson has made a literal translation for students instead of one of the more free style of those heretofore published. As the only available copy of the original appears to be imperfect, he believes that the full meaning of the letter may not have been caught in every respect

The Resurgence of India

Recent economic growth in India has raised its potential to be an economic giant, along with the United States and China. One unique aspect of the Indian economy is that tremendous economic growth has been achieved despite weak infrastructure, resource shortages, and other travails that restrict growth in emerging economies. Recent economic explanations suggest that institutions supporting the economy and economic development are vital to sustained economic growth and may even be more important than infrastructure development. Examining the historic context of the Indian economy, we contend that vital market institutions were always present in India and that economic reforms have unleashed the full potential of these institutions. Using some industry examples, the authors argue that economic policies that strengthen market institutions may be more important compared to conventional policies geared toward infrastructure development