Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz (1695 - 1775)

Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz

Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz was a French historian, ethnographer, naturalist and writer.

Le Page du Pratz studied architecture, engineering and astronomy. In 1718, at the age of 23, he sailed to Louisiana and lived there for 16 years, until 1734. He also traveled extensively along the Mississippi, reaching as far as present-day Memphis. His familiarity with the local Natchez people and his knowledge of their language and customs formed the basis for some of the most fascinating parts of his writings.

His History of Louisiana first began publication in twelve issues from 1751 to 1753 in the Journal Economique, and then was published in full in three volumes in Paris in 1758. The three-volume history of early colonial Louisiana is lavishly illustrated. Part of the book is devoted to an ethnographic description of the native inhabitants of Louisiana, particularly the Natchez people he knew well. Other sections describe the history of the colony, from the Spanish and French explorers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the establishment of French settlements along the Mississippi. Le Page du Pratz may have intended to give the colonists an understanding of the Indians, which he felt was necessary for good relations and therefore for the success of colonization. The author also gave his suggestions on agriculture, trade, and the treatment of African slaves.