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Q:What does this letter show us about Spanish objectives in the New World? How do you think it might have influenced Europeans reading about the New World for the first time? A: There’s a good chance that Columbus’s account is a bit exaggerated, probably not intentionally though, I would be in a state of amazement too if I stumbled onto a beautiful tropical island. How he describes it as a land full of pristine mountains and river valleys all of which have potential to bring bountiful harvest. Not to mention how the rivers are allegedly have gold along with mines full of other metals and a bounty of native spices. It really shows you what the Spanish cared about most of all; material wealth and how easy it is to acquire it on this island. The only mentions he gives to the natural beauty are if they can be attached to a monetary value such as the flowing rivers or sea ports or the plentiful types of fruit and birds that be taken back to be sold as either food or pets. He describes the natives as timid and hilariously incapable of violence, given that the only weapons they have are sharpen sticks that the natives are afraid to use. What I can’t answer with this source is to what extent where the natives non violent? Is there culture truly non violent or was it only towards the Spanish fleet? Be it that it’s an eyewitness testimony, it’s difficult to validate what was seen without actually being there to witness it yourself. Yet if I were a 13th European reading this for the first time, the only thing I could relate it to would be the concept of heaven on earth. It would sound so delightful that it is a goal in life that would be put above all else. The rest of the book keeps up the narrative of new world explorers describing the land they see as an untouched paradise ready to be had, so I would say the source is in agreement with outside sources.
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