Claims on Discovery of America
The discovery of America follows a general knowledge that raises concerns in the modern age with new scientific ways of evaluating history. The definition of the discovery of America poses a contention of claims among various groups, including the Native Americans, Vikings, and Columbus. Notably, the allegations emanating from the actions of explorers that led to new events in America regarding politics, culture, and economy. Importantly, the actions of Columbus had immense impacts on America, and in Europe, that leads to a shared knowledge claiming him as the discoverer of America. The aspects of ‘discovery’ lead to contentious claims of discovery of America among the Native Americans, Vikings, and Christopher Columbus based on their impacts.
The Native Americans consist of indigenous people that migrated to South, North, and Central America. The migration of Native Americans happened between 15000 and 25000 years ago, denoting them as the first to occupy America. The natives welcomed the other explorers, such as the Vikings and Columbus. They possessed social aspects meaning interactions in the American land for a long period of thousands of years before discovery by white Europeans. The indigenous people had social structures, relationships, and trade routes that they had formed before interacting with explorers (Warden, 2016). Significantly, the existence of Native Americans before the exploration of America by white Europeans raises the claim as the discoverers of the continent.
The Vikings, on the other hand, claim to discover America as they explored the continent before Columbus. The base of the discovery of the Vikings follows claims as the first non-native Americans to explore America. The Vikings explored the new world 500 years before Columbus. The explorations followed the powerful ships that enabled them to sail the Atlantic Ocean to North America. The exploration based on a family business led by Leif Eriksson. The Vikings settled in barren and rocky land that presently is known as Canada. Further, they explored the surrounding areas where some Vikings moved to Greenland, leaving resourceful North America (Andersson & Magelssen, 2017). The Vikings claim to have discovered America for exploring the region as the first Europeans.
Christopher Columbus made the voyage from Spain in 1942 with a mission to sail west to Asia in search of gold, spice, and pearls. On his way to the west, he encountered calm seas that led him to the new world in search of a short route to the east. Despite not being the first one to discover America, credit is given to him as he opened up the continent to Europe. Europe, as an expansionist power during that time it conquered the Western Hemisphere and spread its influence for its benefits (Andersson & Magelssen, 2017). The opening up efforts of America by Columbus positioned him as a great explorer.
In conclusion, the Native Americans settled in America long before exploration by the Vikings and Columbus. The fact raises claims .as the first discoverers of America since they are the ones who welcomed other groups. The Vikings, on the other hand, claim the discovery as they explored the new world as the first non-natives. However, Columbus is credited as the one who discovered America due to his actions of opening the region for Europe’s expansion and colonization. Therefore, the definition of America’s discovery by Native Americans bases on first existence while for the Vikings as the first non-native explorers. Conversely, the claim regarding Columbus follows his actions of exposing the region to Europe.