"The significance of Columbus was not that he was here first -- he wasn't -- but rather that he brought news of the area back to Europe, sparking an historical period of settlement and colonization."
I read that the significance of Columbus was: He embodied true modern business enterprise.
His effort combined the best science and technology, with fundraising.
Maps from previous Atlantic explorers yielded the route to take.
Queen of Spain gave the Italian money.
Alotof American history sure skips quickly from 1492 (discovery by latin-types) to 1620 (settlement by decent north-western europeans).
Lief came in 1000. He left, rather than get clobbered by Skraelings. By 1000 Lief was believed to be a Christian. A Norwegian, by way of Iceland and Greenland.
Mayflower 620 years later.
There is also information that a son of the first Prince of Wales traveled to America around 980-1000 AD and settled in the Mississippi delta area. There is even information that as the settlers moved west they came upon tribes of blue eyed blonde haired indians.