March
01
/ 2015
Christopher Columbus is often remembered as the first European to discover the Americas, eventually leading to the colonization of these two continents by European powers. It is undeniable that Columbus’ voyage has earned him a place in history, however, he was not the first European to set foot in the New World. Such a title belongs to the Vikings who explored part of North America several centuries before Columbus. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"8861","attributes":{"alt":"The Maine Penny","class":"media-image","style":"width: 610px; height: 584px;","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]] The Maine Penny. Credit: www.mnh.si.edu. Literary evidence for the Viking exploration of North America can be found in the Vinland Sagas. These were two Icelandic sagas written in the 13 th century regarding the Norse exploration of North America undertaken about two centuries earlier. As
