Use the excerpt to answer the question. “When we stepped ashore we saw fine green trees, streams everywhere and different kinds of fruit. I called to the two captains to jump ashore with the rest,…asking them to bear solemn witness that in the presence of them all I was taking possession of this island for their Lord and Lady the King and Queen.…Soon many of the islanders gathered round us. I could see that they were people who would be more easily converted to our Holy Faith by love than by coercion.” Using the excerpt from Christopher Columbus’s journal during his first voyage, which of the following summarizes how Columbus’s and Vasco da Gama’s motivations were different? (1 point)

Answer 1

Columbus was primarily motivated by the desire to claim new lands for Spain and spread Christianity through peaceful means, as indicated by his emphasis on taking possession of the island and his belief in converting the indigenous people through love. In contrast, Vasco da Gama's motivations were more focused on establishing trade routes to enhance economic power and wealth for Portugal, driven by a desire for exploration and commerce rather than territorial claims or religious conversion.