Question

"But what warrant have we to take that land, which is and has been of long time possessed of others, the sons of Adam?

"Answer: That which is common to all is proper to none. This savage people rule over many lands without title or property; for they enclose no ground, neither have they cattle to maintain it, but remove their dwellings as they have occasion, or as they can prevail against their neighbors. And why may not Christians have liberty to go and dwell amongst them in their waste lands and woods....Secondly, there is more than enough for them and us. Thirdly, God has consumed the natives with a miraculous plague, whereby the greater part of the country is left void of inhabitants. Fourthly, we shall come in with good leave of the natives."
John Winthrop, General Considerations for the Plantation in New England with an Answer to Several Objections..., 1629
The author of the excerpt above was most interested in which of the following ?
(a) Justifying the takeover of American Indian lands
(b) Justifying the takeover of American lands
(c) Taking over of American African lands
(d)None of the above

Answer 1

a) Justifying the takeover of American Indian lands

Step-by-step explanation:

In the text, the author is asked the question of what warrant they have to take the land who has been possessed of other for so long?

He then, proceeds to answer calling the people who owned the land "savage people" who rule over them without title or property, who have no means to maintain it in a regular basis. So he conclude that they, as a Christians could dwell amongst them in those "waste lands" and he also mentions that there is enough land for them both (Christians and non christians). He also mentions the plague the natives of the land have suffered and therefore it has left a vaste part of the land void of inhabitants.

Therefore, he is giving all his reasons to justify the takeover of American land but not any of it but the one that belonged to the natives.