The first people to discover America were Indigenous peoples who migrated from Asia, likely crossing the Bering land bridge at least 15,000 years ago, long before any Europeans arrived.

Indigenous Peoples

• Archaeological evidence shows humans lived in the Americas thousands of years before Columbus.

• These early migrants formed complex societies throughout North, Central, and South America.

Norse Vikings

• Around the year 1000, Norse explorer Leif Erikson and other Vikings established a settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in present-day Newfoundland, Canada—about 500 years before Columbus.

• This is widely considered the first known European arrival in North America.

Other European Explorers

• Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492 but never set foot on mainland North America, instead landing on islands like San Salvador (Bahamas) and Hispaniola.

• Explorers such as John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, and others were significant in subsequent European exploration and the eventual naming of “America” after Vespucci.

Table: Who "Discovered" America?

Name/Group| Approx. Year| Location| Nature of Discovery
---|---|---|---
Indigenous peoples| 15,000+ BCE| Americas| First human settlers31
Norse (Leif Erikson)| ~1000 CE| Newfoundland| First European presence35
Christopher Columbus| 1492 CE| Caribbean Islands| Began era of European exploration
John Cabot| 1497 CE| Newfoundland| Explored northeastern coast
Amerigo Vespucci| 1499–1502 CE| South America| Realized “new” continent

The accurate answer depends on the meaning of "discovered": Indigenous peoples were the first to inhabit America, while Norse Vikings were the first confirmed Europeans, and Columbus's voyages began sustained European contact and colonization.