Notes on Early American History

An invasion of Mongoloid people from Siberia crossed the Bering Strait, connecting Siberia and Alaska.
They migrated through Canada, reaching South America and crossing the USA, Mexico, and Central America.
The characteristics of these people varied; those in the south (Mayas and Incas) were more advanced, while northern tribes remained more primitive.
Around 1600, there were approximately 1.5 million Indians in America, speaking 350 different languages and often at war with each other.

The Vikings were possibly the second group of invaders, arriving from settlements in Iceland and Greenland.
Traces of their presence remain in Labrador and Newfoundland.
They did not settle permanently, likely due to resistance from the indigenous population.

European exploration was primarily led by Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian sailors.
1492: Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean Islands, not America, and believed he had reached India.
1501: Amerigo Vespucci discovered the continent now known as America (landing in Brazil).
- A German geographer named the continent