North America consists of 23 sovereign states including Canada, the United States, Mexico and other small, tropical countries.
As you can imagine, North America has a hugely diverse and varied history. In this BrainMass subject, Pre-Columbian era to present day is explored. There was limited contact between North American people and the outside world before 1492, marking the end of the Pre-Columbian era. The earliest physical evidence of contact comes to us from the Norse VIkings. Captain Leif Eriksson is believed to have reached the Island of Newfoundland in modern day Canada circa 1000 CE.
Europeans remained ignorant of the existence of the Americas until 1492, when Columbus reached the Bahamas in 1492 with funding from Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Spain. This was the first time a European had ever touched North American land.
European activity consisted of mostly exploration and trade during the Age of Discovery before they began to establish settlements. The three main powers involved in settlement and colonization are Spain, England and France. The first successful English settlements were Jamestown, Bermuda and Plymouth. The first French settlements were Port Royal and Quebec City.
North America on the globe. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
From colonial life to the the different conflicts North America has been involved in to the modern era, the continent has grown to become one of the most powerful, influential parts of the world.