In the 10th century a small group of outcasts was able to discover and colonize the New World with their own private resources. 500 years later Columbus was only able to follow them after seeking sponsorship from multiple states. Why was there such an apparent change in the cost of exploration?

by AbouBenAdhem

jeffbell

As you replied, you are asking about Leif Erikson and the rest....

I think that you may have been misinformed on the success of the Norse colonization in North America.

There is little evidence of prolonged settlements but the oral accounts contain frequent mention of conflicts with the natives.

You might be interested in a nice posting by /u/RobsterCrawSoup that describes some reasons that they did not expand into North America

Of course there is always room for more discussion.

greenasaurus

What group was this?