When did the first contacts between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans occur?

• A. Only after 1492 with Columbus.
• B. Different communities made contact at various times, such as the Vikings around 1000 CE and John Cabot in 1497.
• C. All contacts began in the 1600s.
• D. Contact started in the 1200s with various explorers from multiple nations.

Answer: (B)

Contacts between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans happened at different times and in different places, not on a single date. The earliest well-documented encounter in this region occurred around 1000 CE, when Norse explorers from Greenland reached areas in what is now Newfoundland. This is supported by archaeological finds at L’Anse aux Meadows and the Norse sagas describing their contact with Indigenous peoples. Centuries later, in 1497, John Cabot (an Italian sailing for England) reached Newfoundland, marking another wave of contact as Europeans began sustained exploration of the North American coast. So, the history shows multiple contact moments across a long span, which is why this option is the best fit.