<P> For a very long time , it was believed that Columbus and his crew had been the first Europeans to make landfall in the Americas . However , they were not the first explorers from Europe to reach the Americas , having been preceded by the Viking expedition led by Leif Erikson in the 11th century ; however , Columbus 's voyages led to the first ongoing European contact with the Americas , inaugurating a period of exploration , conquest , and colonization that has lasted several centuries . </P>
<P> For a very long time , it was believed that Columbus and his crew had been the first Europeans to make landfall in the Americas . However , they were not the first explorers from Europe to reach the Americas , having been preceded by the Viking expedition led by Leif Erikson in the 11th century ; however , Columbus 's voyages led to the first ongoing European contact with the Americas , inaugurating a period of exploration , conquest , and colonization that has lasted several centuries . </P>
who discovered sea route from europe to america
who discovered sea route from europe to america
Columbus Leif Erikson
Columbus Leif Erikson