When Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492, he was trying to find the western route to Asia, as per his orders by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. When he landed his ship on the New World, he believed that he has found a route to Asia, unbeknownst to him that he found a whole new continent. Upon exploration, he came across some indigenous people. In his letter to the king and queen, he described the indigenous people that he met on the islands as being well-built, timid, and generous. His portrayal of the indigenous people reveals that they would serve well as slaves and as a source of information in Spanish colonies in order to further the economy of the Spanish Crown. In the letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, Columbus described the Natives in great detail. According to Columbus, the Natives were all naked, some women only covering a spot with a leaf or …show more content…
Again, there was no talk of cannibalism or violence by these people anywhere in the letter. It made it appealing to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to use the Natives as slaves because they were healthy and muscular and would obey their commands due to their timid nature. The Natives’ perception of Columbus being from the heavens also helped to boost the appeal in the letter because it boosts Columbus’ image. It depicts him as being somewhat of a god and they worship him, which depicts the Natives as being loyal followers. This shows that the Natives would also be loyal to the Crown. Economically speaking, the Natives would make great slaves for the Crown. They would be a great source of cheap labor and would be a great way to obtain the goods from the New World. These were all aspects in which Columbus hinted at in his letter to the Royal Crown. This was the vision Columbus had for the Natives and for the land that they