DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - First Americans 'reached Europe five centuries before Columbus discoveries'

**Honealals** · 11-18-2010, 05:57 AM

Yeah, Leif Ericson got as far as Newfoundland in 1001 AD. Christopher Columbus got the credit because he opened up America to Europe. Interestingly, Columbus didn't even know he had discovered anything. He thought he was in Asia. In 1501, Amerigo Vespucci sailed to the southern tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego. He realized that he had discovered a new continent. America is named after him.

The Vikings beat Columbus but there were people in America before the Vikings of course. The Clovis people discovered Alaska about 11,500 years ago. They may have been the first. Although that belief has been challenged in recent years.

11-18-2010, 05:57 AM	#2
Honealals Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 440 Senior Member	Yeah, Leif Ericson got as far as Newfoundland in 1001 AD. Christopher Columbus got the credit because he opened up America to Europe. Interestingly, Columbus didn't even know he had discovered anything. He thought he was in Asia. In 1501, Amerigo Vespucci sailed to the southern tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego. He realized that he had discovered a new continent. America is named after him. The Vikings beat Columbus but there were people in America before the Vikings of course. The Clovis people discovered Alaska about 11,500 years ago. They may have been the first. Although that belief has been challenged in recent years.
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