Early Exploration In North America

Early Explorations First group to inhabit North America were Aboriginal Peoples They came to Canada from Asia around 30,000 years ago following the retreat of the last Ice Age:  Land-bridge Theory

Europeans Explorations The next group of people to reach North America were Europeans who can from Scandinavia.  Vikings

Who were the Vikings? A culture originating from –Norway –Denmark –Sweden The Vikings were: –fierce conquerors –brave explorers –skilled craftspeople They invaded and settled countries throughout Western Europe.

The Journey Of Eric The Red also called Erik Thorvaldson, Eirik Raude and Eirik Torvaldsson. He grew up in Norway but his family Settled in western Iceland after his father. His fathers name was Thorvald Asvaldsson and he murder a man so he was banished from Norway. Later Eric the Red was banished from Iceland for murdering two people.

After he explored what is know Greenland for two years he returned to Iceland in the year of 985. Eric The Red’s Route Where he started.

Travel Journal  982 I sailed west from the Snaefellsnes peninsula. I found Gunnbjorn’s Islands then I landed on the eastern coast of what I call Greenland it was a long trip.  982 I sailed south to the southern tip of Greenland. I was going to “Eriks Island”.  982 After I spent a whole winter on “Erik's Island”, I sailed up Erik's fjord.  I spent two winters at the southern tip of Greenland looking around the area.  985 I went back to Iceland and told about the new land.

Leif Eriksson – Leif Eriksson was the son of Eric the Red, who started the first European settlement of Greenland in 985. He was born in Iceland around 975. Leif was a leader of Viking expeditions and may have been the first European to reach North America.

Tale of two stories In the year 1000, Leif sailed to Norway, which is where his family had originally come from. While he was there, he became a Christian and planned to return to Greenland to teach the Vikings about Christianity. As Leif sailed back to Greenland, he was blown off course and ended up in North America instead of Greenland. Story 1

Tale of two stories A second story says that another Viking had already been to North America. Leif wanted to retrace the route. So he sailed to North America, but not by mistake. He landed in a place he called Vinland. This was probably part of Canada now called Newfoundland. Story 2

Vikings Over 1000 years ago, the Vikings were forced to explore new areas of the world due to:  Overcrowding  Lack of farmland The Vikings reached:  Great Britain & Ireland (800)  Iceland & Greenland (860)  Labrador & Newfoundland (986)

Vikings The Vikings made a settlement in Newfoundland at “L’anse aux Meadows” The settlement lasted 30 years before the Native Beothuk people drove the Vikings out. For the next 500 years, North America was left for the Natives to inhabit. Until the late 1400s when Europeans again began to explore.

A Viking Long Ship Viking long ships could travel rough, open seas. A long ship could be as long as 75 feet and could carry up to 35 people.