The Vikings (Europeans)
Christopher Columbus was not the First European to arrive in North America. Actually, this act was done by the Vikings. The Vikings were basically the First Europeans, ones that lived in Scandinavia. The settlements that they made in Scandinavia eventually overpopulated, forcing them to find new land. These Vikings then found Iceland and started settlements there. In 982, Eric the Red was kicked out of Iceland for the guilt of murdering his neighbors. Eric and some of his friends then left Iceland and established yet another settlement in Greenland. Eric had a son, Leif the Lucky, or Leif Erickson. His son then sailed from Greenland to Newfoundland. The Vikings called it Vinland, because of the amount of grapes growing there. In 1008, Thorfinn Karlsefni and about 160 other people sailed to Vinland to establish a settlement there. Thorfinn, also found his share of promised riches, as well as FN. The Vikings called them skraelings, meaning "wretched people". The First Contact between The Vikings and the FN was actually done very well, with The Mohawk Tribe being the first to establish a trade with them(from which they received guns). Though, this relationship did not last long, as when the FN realized that Thorfinn was going to stay, war broke out between them. Thorfinn, along with his surviving crew and family left Vinland, failing the war due to both lack of warriors and supplies.
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