Read the passage from a letter by Christopher Columbus. The inhabitants . . . are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror. . . . But when they see that they are safe, and all fear is banished, they are very guileless and honest, and very liberal of all they have.

–Letter to Gabriel Sanchez, Christopher Columbus

Why might the credibility of the passage be questioned?

A). It is biased.

Explanation:

The key reason for which the credibility of this passage can be questioned is that 'it is biased' as it presents the inhabitants in a prejudiced manner. The use of several descriptive words like 'well made, full of terror, timid, guileless, etc.' substantiate this claim and shows how the author is attempting to foist his personal opinions and thoughts about the inhabitants on the readers.

Any written work is called credible when it offers an objective representation along with appropriate evidence to justify his claims and allow the readers to make their own opinions or deductions. But here, the author lacks this as he seems to offer a judgment without any relevant evidence that reflects bias. Hence, option A is the correct answer.

b) the confederacy had to pay all union war expenses.