Question

Read the passage from a letter by Christopher Columbus.

As soon as I had come into this sea, I took by force some Indians from the first island, in order that they might learn from us, and at the same time tell us what they knew about affairs in these regions. This succeeded admirably; for in a short time we understood them and they us both by gesture and signs and words; and they were of great service to us.

–Letter to Gabriel Sanchez, Christopher Columbus

Which statement best explains why the passage is biased?

The passage leaves out the view of the native people.
The passage is a primary source about the native people.
The passage describes an encounter with the native people.
The passage explains the strategy Columbus used with the native people.

Answer 1

The statement that best explains why the passage is biased is:

**The passage leaves out the view of the native people.**

This statement highlights the bias because it indicates that the perspective or experiences of the indigenous people involved in the encounter are not represented in Columbus's account.