The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503

What it is

This book, part of the series Original Narratives of Early American History edited under the American Historical Association, brings together translated documents about early voyages to America, including those of Columbus and John Cabot, covering the years 985 to 1503. The section on Columbus was edited separately from the Norse voyages section.

Why it matters

By gathering translated original documents in one place, this collection helps readers compare Columbus's own voyages with earlier Norse expeditions and later ones by Cabot. It is a secondary compilation made long after the events, useful for study but shaped by the choices of its 20th-century editors about which documents to include.

Look closer

• Why might historians want to publish translations of original documents together in one volume?
• What does including Norse voyages alongside Columbus's suggest about how historians understand the discovery of America?
• What might be lost or changed when a document is translated from its original language?