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Is it true that Vikings from Scandinavia came to North America even before Christopher Columbus?

I once watched a documentary on History channel and the narrator claim that they did!

10 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 5
    7 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Yes. The Vikings explored the coasts of Labrador and set up a modest settlement at L'Anse Aux Meadows at the northern tip of Newfoundland around the year 1000. They did not intend to colonize; just settle and do a little trading. Conflicts - mostly violent - with the natives led to the abandonment of the settlement. At the time, the rest of Europe wasn't interested in exploration or colonization, so nothing ever came of it.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    The vikings discovered america in the 9th century, that is a fact, in the 1400's europeans did not know that america existed,columbus was the first european to get to america after the vikings.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    Yes, for a few months, in about the year AD 1000. And before that it is possible that Irish monks visited in the 800s, but the story is not certain. The Viking story is certain.

  • 7 years ago

    Yes. Some vikings under Leif Ericson founded a colony, called Vinland, on what is now Newfoundland, about a thousand years ago.

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  • 7 years ago

    yes by way of iceland then on to greenland then on to new foundland the American colony was only very small and was probably set up for trade and to supply wood for the greenland colony so it could produce its own ships.. That is why Greenland is still a Danish colony-the vikings were there before the Eskimos.The two colonies on greenland died out in the 14th and 15th centuries.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    It is even more correct that the true "discoverers" of this continent came via Alaska, on foot or in small boats, over 13,000 years ago and manage to make it all the way down to Patagonia in South America, step by step.

  • 7 years ago

    It isn't really a claim, like people definitely came before Columbus. He didn't even know where he was, he thought he was mapping India.

  • 7 years ago

    there aeems to be some archaeological evidence that they did.

    but they left very little trace vehind them.. the voyage of Columbus and other early modern explorers are more significant to the development of America.

  • 7 years ago

    Yes a small number made it to North America... but they didn't stay.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    yes

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