American history: Columbus discovers the New World
<p><span word="Generations">Generations</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="schoolchildren">schoolchildren</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Christopher">Christopher</span> <span word="Columbus">Columbus</span> <span word="discovered">discovered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="World">World</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="October">October</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="celebrated">celebrated</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="holiday">holiday</span>, <span word="Columbus">Columbus</span> <span word="Day">Day</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="honor">honor</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="European">European</span> <span word="explorer">explorer</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="October">October</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="page">page</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="calendar">calendar</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lesser">lesser</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="observance">observance</span>. <span word="October">October</span> <span word="ninth">ninth</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Leif">Leif</span> <span word="Erickson">Erickson</span> <span word="Day">Day</span>. <span word="Leif">Leif</span> <span word="Erickson">Erickson</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Norse">Norse</span> <span word="explorer">explorer</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="sailed">sailed</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="northeastern">northeastern</span> <span word="coast">coast</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="about">about</span> 1,000 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="crew">crew</span> <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Greenland">Greenland</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="called">called</span> "<span word="Vinland">Vinland</span>."</p><p><span word="Following">Following</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="explorations">explorations</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="settlements">settlements</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="built">built</span>. <span word="Experts">Experts</span> <span word="digging">digging</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="eastern">eastern</span> <span word="Canada">Canada</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1960<span word="s">s</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="village">village</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="houses">houses</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Greenland">Greenland</span>, <span word="Iceland">Iceland</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Norway">Norway</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Norse">Norse</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="establish">establish</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="permanent">permanent</span> <span word="settlements">settlements</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span>.</p><p><span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="relaunch">relaunch</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="series">series</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="European">European</span> <span word="explorers">explorers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span>.</p><p>(<span word="MUSIC">MUSIC</span>)</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="century">century</span>, <span word="Europe">Europe</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="beginning">beginning</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="change">change</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="religious">religious</span> <span word="wars">wars</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Crusades">Crusades</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="campaigns">campaigns</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Christians">Christians</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="force">force</span> <span word="Muslims">Muslims</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Holy">Holy</span> <span word="Land">Land</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Crusades">Crusades</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="century">century</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="continued">continued</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="effect">effect</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="presence">presence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="European">European</span> <span word="armies">armies</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="trade">trade</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="trade">trade</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="controlled">controlled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="businessmen">businessmen</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Venice">Venice</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="city">city</span>-<span word="states">states</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Italy">Italy</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="businessmen">businessmen</span> <span word="earned">earned</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="profits">profits</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="supplying">supplying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="warring">warring</span> <span word="armies">armies</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="bringing">bringing</span> <span word="goods">goods</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span>.</p>
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