The First Europeans

(Period: Early America)

Synopsis:

For a brief synopsis of the history of this time and period: Click Here.

Historical synopsis courtesy of A Hypertext on American History from the colonial period until Modern Times by Department of Humanities Computing, University of Groningen, The Netherlands and the former United States Information Agency (1953-1999).

Key Facts:

• Norse Scandinavians were the first Europeans to arrive in America.
• In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
• America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer.

Key Events:

• Spain conquered Mexico in 1522.
• A large number of Francisco Coronado's horses escaped near the Great Plains, which had a huge impact on transforming the Native Americans into skilled horsemen.

Key People:

• Erik the Red - Norseman who founded a settlement in the Americas in 985.
• Christopher Columbus - Italian explorer who played a large role in attracting Europe's attention to the Americas.
• Juan Ponce de Leon - Spanish explorer who landed on the Florida coast in 1513.
• Amerigo Vespucci - Italian writer, after whom America is named, whose accounts of exploring "The New World" were widely popular.

Key Places:

• Jamestown, Virginia - where the first British colony was established.

Vocabulary:

• New World - the name that European explorers gave to the Americas.