The Vikings Explore North America
Overview
Five hundred years before Columbus, Vikings led by Leif Eriksson became the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. Norse sagas and archaeological finds record their explorations and their contacts with the native peoples. Unfortunately for the Vikings, their relations with the indigenous inhabitants were not friendly, and they soon abandoned their encampments.
Background
In the tenth century, the Vikings had expanded from their Scandinavian homeland and settled the islands to their west, including the Faeroe Islands and Iceland. Vikings were accomplished sailors, well equipped to handle the rough waters of the North Atlantic. Their ships were sturdy, fast and flexible. They had overlapping clinker hull planking, to increase their strength and help prevent leaks. With a framework held together by animal sinews or spruce roots, they could flex rather than break apart under the stress of ocean swells. Deck planks were removable for arranging cargo and bailing out bilge water. The ships rode low enough to sail on the open ocean, but were shallow enough to beach and to navigate rivers. In addition to being propelled by their single square sail, they could also be rowed.
The famous Viking Erik the Red, who had been banished for three years from the established colony in Iceland after killing several men, spent the time exploring a large island to the west.
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