Thorvaldsson: The Discovery Of North America

Most people believe that Christopher Columbus was the first European ever to set foot on North America. That belief changed when in 1963 a group of archaeologists found 1,000 year old Viking artifacts on the tip of Newfoundland, where it is known as L’Anse aux Meadows. Over 2,000 Viking objects were found and they uncovered a Viking-like settlement. Leif Erikson is believed to be the first European to discover North America, almost 500 years before Columbus did, and is much known for his exploring skills. Around 950 AD, the father of Leif Erikson, Erik the Red, or also known as Erik Thorvaldsson, was born in Norway, a Scandinavian country. At the age of ten, Erik the Red’s father, Thorvald, got exiled from Norway for killing two men in manslaughters
He found land, which he named Greenland. He thought that if the place had an attracting name, then more visitors will come visit the place. Thorvaldsson decided to make the first European settlement there. After his 3 year banishment period, he headed back to Iceland and convinced several hundred people that colonizing Greenland was worth it. A total of 25 ships were on their way to Greenland, but only 14 ships and 450 colonists made it safely Greenland. They established two main colonies on the southwest side of Greenland, known as the Eastern and Western Settlements. Erik the Red established a farmstead named Brattahlid, which was part of the Eastern Settlement. The colonists traded with Iceland and Norway for essential items. The population of the colonies consisted of around 2,000 people, with the houses being constructed of turf and stone, due to the scarcity of trees in
He found an unknown shore, but Herjolfsson was not in the mood for discovery. He told his stories to Leif Erikson, which motivated him to travel to the unknown lands. In the summer of 1001 AD, Erikson gathered a crew of 35 men and bought Herjolfsson’s ship. He stocked the ship with supplies such as salted meat and mead. Erikson begged his father to lead the expedition. After lots of begging, Erik the Red reluctantly agreed to be leader of the expedition. On the day they were scheduled to leave, Erik the Red was riding his horses to the harbor, when without warning, his horse threw him off, which caused him to injure his foot. He could not continue on the trip. They set sail for North America from