During the Ice Age, the Bering Strait was covered with ice. The Bering Strait is between Asia and North America.

The nomads or wandering people walked across the ice covered Bering Strait hunting for food.

The earth began to warm and the ice covering Bering Strait began to melt. As the ice melted, the nomads could no longer travel across the Bering Strait. Today, there is a body of water between Asia and North America.

The people followed the large mammoths farther into the Americas. As the larger animals begin to die out the nomads were forced to find other food.

The wanderers began to hunt smaller animals and eat berries and nuts. The people no longer

traveled but settled down in one area.

Explorers began to wonder if there was land across the ocean. The Vikings were the first to make a voyage to the Americas.

The first known voyages by the Vikings.

Leif Ericsson, Eric the Red’s son landed in North America in the year 1000.

Leif Ericsson sailed from Greenland to Vinland, a small island off the coast of Canada. Today, Vinland is called Newfoundland.

The Vikings tried several times to settle in Vinland but the hostile natives and many other hardships caused them to give up and return to Greenland.