Final answer:
Columbus described the Native Americans as gentle and simple people, yet captured some, likely for demonstration and assistance. Bartolomé de las Casas provides a stark contrast with his report on the brutality faced by the natives due to Spanish conquest. The different purposes of their writings contribute to the disparity between Columbus's diary and Las Casas's account.
Step-by-step explanation:
Christopher Columbus described the Native Americans he encountered as 'timid and full of fear', 'very poor', and 'inoffensive people'. Despite their friendly nature, Columbus still captured some natives, likely to demonstrate his discoveries to his sponsors and as potential guides or interpreters. This is evidenced by his journal entries, particularly when he mentioned presenting them with gifts and remarking on their simplicity of life and lack of familiarity with European weapons. Columbus's perception was steeped in a European viewpoint that saw the natives as inferior and ripe for conversion to Christianity. On the contrasting side, Bartolomé de las Casas provided a grim account of the atrocities committed against the natives by the Spaniards, emphasizing the devastating impact of colonization on the indigenous population of the Caribbean.
Why did Columbus capture the natives?
Columbus might have captured the natives to bring them aboard his ships due to his initial belief that he had reached the East Indies and his desire to demonstrate his findings. Additionally, Columbus's European bias and his understanding of 'civilization' could have led him to undervalue the natives' lives, making him see them as commodities rather than as people with their own sovereign lives.
Reflecting on why Columbus's diary differs from Las Casas's book, it is important to consider the purpose of each document. Columbus's diary aimed to report on his voyage and discoveries to secure further sponsorship, whereas Las Casas's writings were a critique of the colonial system and an appeal to the moral responsibility towards the indigenous people.