Vikings - North America's First European Settlers

What

While there has always been a commonly held belief that Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover America, more recent evidence seems to indicate that this is not the case. Columbus' voyage of 1492 came many years after the viking Leif Eiriksson and his crew landed in Newfoundland. Historians now believe that these vikings set up an outpost at L'anse aux Meadows as early as 1001 AD.

Who

Eirik the Red
Leif Eiriksson
Bjarni Hejolfson

Why

Vikings are known for their sea faring adventures and plundering. More than this though these Norse peoples were farmers, fishermen, iron workers etc. Because of the Northern origin of the vikings, they were always prone to shortages of wood and other essential supplies. For this reason the took to the sea in order to collect what their homeland could not offer.

Like other Europeans after them, the vikings had moved to far off lands in search of a better life. Vikings settled in Iceland and Greenland to the west of Norway. Logically, it was just a matter of time before they discovered North America. When they did, they believed they had found the land of plenty. There appeared to be an abundance of wood, and Leif called the area Vinland as he thought there were plenty of grapes in this new land.

It is believed that the relatively small bands of vikings that lived in Newfoundland at any one time began to have run-ins with native peoples and that this is why they abandoned their land of plenty.

When

The approximate time frame for these events is believed to be:

• 982 AD - Eirik the Red engages in a feud with neighbours in Iceland
• 986 AD - Eirik is banished and moves his family to Greenland
• 1001 AD - Leif Eiriksson and Bjarni Hejolfson set off on their exploration
• 1001 AD - The vikings land at L'Anse aux Meadows
• 1001 - 1010 AD - Various groups inhabit the camp in Newfoundland

Where

The vikings that eventually landed at L'Anse aux Meadows were originally from Norway. As an explorer, Eirik the Red had settled in Iceland with his family. Due to a dispute followed by violence, Eirik was banished and moved on to Greenland with his family. Eirik's son Leif and a sailor named Bjarni Hejolfson set off on their voyage of discovery, they first spotted Baffin Island, then the coast of Labrador, eventually choosing the Northern tip of Newfoundland as their camp.