This article introduces the Inter-American system of human rights to give those outside of the system an understanding of the basic rights guaranteed and mechanisms of enforcement. The article argues that while the Inter-American system has been a useful mechanism for enhancing human rights protections, it remains too weak to ensure that the human rights of all citizens in the Americas are in fact respected. Nonetheless, the Inter-American system offers a useful model of how regional mechanisms can promote human rights. This article proceeds by first providing an historical introduction to the Inter-American system of human rights and a detailed discussion of the protections provided for in the American Convention on Human Rights. The article then turns to the actual institutions of the system and the key cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court on Human Rights. Finally, the article considers the place of the United States in the Inter-American system and the protection of human rights more broadly.