FREE ESSAY ON WHO DISCOVERD AMERICA

WHO DISCOVERD AMERICA

The Paleolithic ancestors of the native Americans are the true original inhabitants of
America, but many others deserve credit as well for the discovery of the land. Among
these are Leif Erickson and the Vikings of Norway, and Christopher Columbus of Spain.
Without these early visitors to the land, America would not be the thriving nation it is
today.
Fifteen to forty thousand years ago the first settlers of America came to the land by way
of the Bering Straight. Some believe the Pacific Ocean was much lower than it is now and
these early migrants could have walked across a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska.
Others believe they used small Kayaks or walked across an ice cap. These first settlers
were the Paleolithic ancestors of the Native Americans. These Asians were nomadic hunters
and found the land while following herds of animal's eastward. After the first band of
settlers many more came who soon spread across what is now the United States, Canada, and
Mexico. Present day archaeologists have unearthed many Paleolithic artifacts such as
campsites, primitive tools and weapons of the early settlers. With the ability to carbon
14 test these artifacts, scientists were able to confirm that they were here as early as
4000 BC.
Somewhere around 1000 AD, Leif Erickson discovered North America for the Vikings of
Greenland. According to Icelandic sagas, Leif boarded his ship with thirty-five other men
and sailed south of Greenland. Their first stop was somewhere near the present day Baffin
Islands. He also visited a place, which he called Vineland, meaning wine land, where they
found many grapes and made wine to take back to their homeland in Greenland. Leif and his
crew spent the winter in Vineland and built a large house and a shed to protect their
ship. No one knows the exact location of Vineland, but estimate it is somewhere in
northern Newfoundland. Archaeologists found the ruins of an old Viking settlement in
north Newfoundland around 1960 and suggested it might have been Vineland. Although some
historians suggest that Leif must have traveled further south because grapes do not grow
that far north. Other explorers sailed from Greenland to Vineland for fifteen more years.
They might have even settled, but attacks by the Native Americans deterred them.
After Leif Erickson and the Vikings came Christopher Columbus and the Spaniards. They
were searching for the Spice Islands of the Indies, but mistakenly landed in the Bahamas
in 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian who had a great plan to open up a new trade
route to the Indies. His plan was to sail west and end up in Japan in less time than it
would take to go by land. Columbus planned to sell his idea and get "sponsored" for his
trip. Spain took him up on his deal and gave him money and ships to make his voyage in
hopes that he would bring back spices and other precious materials to Spain. Columbus set
sail and headed west. He found land three months later. Believing he had found the Indies
he named the inhabitants Indians. This name had stuck with the Native Americans even to
the present day. Columbus made three more trips to the new land not knowing he had
discovered America. He died in 1506 never knowing of his tremendous discovery. So the
reason he gets all the credit is because he came back to civilized England and announced
his findings. The Indians did not.
Although the Paleolithic ancestors of the Native Americans were the true discoverers of
America, Leif Erickson and Christopher Columbus deserve some credit also. Each discovered
the land for their people and added another chapter to our history.