Assignment 7- Ian Schaeffer

On October 9, 1000 CE, Leif Erickson, a Viking, landed in modern Newfoundland, becoming the first ever European to reach North America. Erickson is believed to have been trying to return to Greenland when he went off course and ended up on the North Atlantic coast of the continent. Evidence of Viking base camps in Newfoundland are estimated to have been from the 11th century, which is much of the support for the belief that Erickson landed there. He named the area Vinland because it was a prospering vineyard, stuffed to the edges with grapes. Erickson is proclaimed by many, including former president Calvin Coolidge, to be the first ever European explorer of the North American continent, and the day October 9th is actually referred to as Leif Erickson day.

This event was a good thing, as Erickson made a revolutionary discover for the Europeans regarding the North American landmass, but he did it without the mass murder, genocide, and chaos that accompanied and marred Columbus' later arrival on Hispaniola in 1492.

This event did not have a massive influence on history, as Erickson went back to Greenland and never returned, but all the same, his landing in America likely created rumors of beautiful and mysterious lands in Europe. Even the skeptical had to wonder about the land to the far west across the Atlantic, and rumors blossomed and spread across Europe for centuries to come.

I appreciate this event. I think it is important to recognize Erickson for his achievement, especially if he really is the first to have done it.