On my arrival at that sea, I had taken some Indians by force from the first island that I came to, in order that they might learn our language, and communicate to us what they knew respecting the country; which plan succeeded excellently, and was a great advantage to us.

Question

–Letter to King and Queen of Spain,
Christopher Columbus

From this part of the letter, what conclusions can be made about Columbus’s way of doing things?

Columbus didn't consider the indigenous people’s freedom in achieving his goals.

He respected indigenous people by asking them for permission to claim their land.

Columbus didn’t need the help of indigenous people to explore the islands.

Columbus was good with languages and learned the indigenous language quickly.

Answer 1

From the excerpt of the letter, the conclusion that can be drawn about Columbus’s way of doing things is:

Columbus didn't consider the indigenous people’s freedom in achieving his goals.

This is evident from his statement about taking some Indians by force, indicating a lack of regard for their autonomy and rights in his pursuit of knowledge about the land and its resources.