Ancient Explorers of Eastern North America

Where did the first colonizers of North America from Europe, North Africa and the British Isles first land?

The greatest mixed cluster is in New England and spreading out from it. And how did these ancient travellers journey across the face of North America? Generally in the same way that they got there. In watercraft! To the ancients the seas, lakes and rivers were the superhighways as crossing land until the later Romans developed road systems was in many cases near impossible if not exceptionally difficult. This is how all great exploration has always been done until recently. You sail across a sea and then up the first river you find to see where it will go and this scenario never changes. You only go overland when there are no rivers or lakes as it is much harder to consign goods or travel over unexplored territory than by water.

Another great superhighway to trade was from the Gulf of Mexico and up its tributaries and in some cases via now long lost rivers to the Great Lakes themselves. In fact you did not even need long lost rivers. Present day ones would do just as well. The Des Moines River which connects up with the Mississippi River runs within five miles west of Lake Michigan within the present city limits of Chicago. Not too far to move a boat across land from the Great Lakes to the Des Moines River. Even less distance in the thousand year pluvial periods when water levels were higher and there was more rain. There were wider rivers and more lakes to travel across.

© 2025 George Mitrovic (Audiobook): 9798318380778

Release date

Audiobook: 12 July 2025