The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen

DeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1831-1904Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0
Word count
317K words
Chapters
32

Tags

English Originals Historical GeographyWorld History Historical ResearchDiscoveryDiscovery of AmericaAdventure JourneyNorse ExplorationMaritime ExplorationContested ClaimsAcademic StudyArchaeological EvidenceMiddle Ages

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen by B. F. DeCostaAuthor: DeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1831-1904,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Oct 29, 2012

Editor's review

This book examines the legends and records of Norse arrival in America before Columbus, a classic and contentious topic in the history of the discovery of the Americas. The author, B. F. DeCosta, was a nineteenth-century American scholar; the book traces the westward voyages of Norse seafarers and surveys the relevant literature and narrative traditions, bearing the clear stamp of its era's antiquarian scholarship. Its value lies in showing how nineteenth-century scholars approached the question: it both assembles materials and reflects the historical methods and positions of its time. For today's readers it is better used as material for historiography and source reading than as a conclusive work. Readers should distinguish the ancient records quoted in the book from the author's own inferences, and remain cautious about claims concerning place names and dates. As a free eBook from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to search and read alongside other texts, making it a suitable topical entry point for readers interested in the early exploration of the Americas and Norse seafaring traditions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Read the introduction or opening section first to grasp the author's questions and scope of materials, then move on to the specific chapters.
  2. While reading, use two kinds of marks to distinguish ancient source quotations from the author's inferences, so as not to conflate them.
  3. Read alongside a modern overview of Norse seafaring and American archaeology to form your own judgment.
  4. If using it for topical writing, note the titles and dates of the sources cited in the book for later verification.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32

FAQ

Does this book prove that the Norse reached America before Columbus? It should not be read as proof. This book is a nineteenth-century scholar's survey and discussion of the relevant records, limited by the methods and positions of its time. The question of Norse arrival in America has its own modern archaeological and documentary scholarship; this book should be read as one part of understanding the historiographical discussion, not as a source of definitive conclusions.
Can someone without a history background understand it? Yes, but it takes patience. The book contains many source quotations and place names, and its mode of presentation is heavily antiquarian. It is advisable to first learn the basic outline of Norse seafaring and the history of the discovery of the Americas, then read this book for smoother comprehension.
Are the place names and dates in the book reliable? They should be treated with caution. The ancient records quoted in the book are mixed with the author's inferences, and some correspondences of place names and dates are disputed. Readers should distinguish the sources of the material and cross-check with other references rather than accepting any single claim directly.
Is it suitable as reference material for a paper? It can serve as material for historiography or a literature review, to understand how nineteenth-century scholars discussed the question; but for specific historical facts, modern research findings should be cited, with the book's historical context noted, so as not to mistake old claims for current conclusions.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

DeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1831-1904 Author · American · 1831–1904

Benjamin Franklin DeCosta (1831–1904) was an American Episcopal clergyman and historian. He devoted sustained attention to the early maritime and discovery history of the Americas, especially the Norse presence there before Columbus; his representative work, The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen, centers on this subject. Public information about him is limited, so details of his life and academic career remain uncertain. Judging from his surviving work, his writing emphasizes the arrangement of historical sources and accounts of voyages, bearing the clear mark of a churchman and amateur historian, and offering readers a readable narrative on the early discovery history of North America. One work by him is currently included in the collection.