Erikson, Eskimos & Columbus: Medieval European Knowledge of America

This revealing analysis of Medieval cartography and native American travel upends conventional narratives about discovering the New World.

For generations, American schools have taught children that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. But evidence shows that Leif Erikson set foot on the continent centuries earlier. As debate continues over which explorer deserves the credit, early maps of North America suggest that we may be asking the wrong questions. How did medieval Europ...