NORTHMEN IN AMERICA.
985-1015.
THE
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
BY THE
NORTHMEN.
985-1015.
A DISCOURSE DELIVERED BEFORE THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
APRIL 24, 1888.
BY THE REV. EDMUND F. SLAFTER, D. D.,
A CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE
ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN, ETC., ETC.
CONCORD, N. H.:
PRIVATELY PRINTED.
1891.
REPRINTED FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
DISCOURSE.
On the 29th day of October, 1887, a statue erected to the memory ofLeif, the son of Erik, the discoverer of America, was unveiled in thecity of Boston, in the presence of a large assembly of citizens. Thestatue is of bronze, a little larger than life-size, and represents theexplorer standing upon the prow of his ship, shading his eyes with hishand, and gazing towards the west. This monument[1] suggests the subjectto which I wish to call your attention, viz., the story of the discoveryof this continent by the Scandinavians nearly nine hundred years ago.
I must here ask your indulgence for the statement of a few preliminaryhistorical facts in order that we may have a clear understanding of thisdiscovery.
About the middle of the ninth century, Harald Haarfager, or thefair-haired, came to the throne of Norway. He was a young and handsomeprince, endowed with great energy of will and many personal attractions.It is related that he fell in love with a beautiful princess. Hisaddresses were, however, coolly rejected with the declaration that whenhe became king of Norway in reality, and not merely in name, she would[Pg 4]give him both her heart and her hand. This admonition was notdisregarded by the young king. The thirty-one principalities into whichNorway was at that time divided were in a few years subjugated, and thepetty chieftains or princes who ruled over them became obedient to theroyal authority. The despotic rule, however, of the king was soirritating and oppressive that many of them sought homes of greaterfreedom in the inhospitable islands of the northern seas. Among therest, Iceland, having been discovered a short time before, was colonizedby them. This event occurred about the year 874. Notwithstanding theseverity of the climate and the sterility of the soil, the colonyrapidly increased in numbers and wealth, and an active commerce sprungup with the mother country, and was successfully maintained. At the endof a century, they had pushed their explorations still farther, andGreenland was discovered, and a colony was planted there, whichcontinued to flourish for a long period.
About the year 985, a young, enterprising, and prosperous navigator, whohad been accustomed to carry on a trade between Iceland and Norway, onreturning from the latter in the summer of the year, found that hisfather had le