AlpinLuke

Let's imagine that it wasn't a matter of a couple of villages in Greenland and Terranova, but a real colonization of the Eastern coast of Northern America.

Vikings created a Norman state, let's say in XII century along the North Eastern coast of Northern America.

Which would have been the evolution of that entity?

And how would have it interacted with the European mass colonization of Central and South Eastern coast of Northern America, centuries after?

M.S. Islam

European colonists would have found a much tougher inhabitants to overcome,so much so that may be they would have avoided north America altogether.

If vikings really had established a state in north America, may be those American vikings would send navies to Europe for plundering and pillaging.

Dawson567

My name would be Kjartan and I would command my wolf ship Wind-Viper.

Clemmie

Interesting idea. I suspect they (Vikings) would have had trouble with Native Americans as did the English colonists. I suspect the Vikings would have defeated the Indians who would have been pushed West much sooner than happened in our history.

English colonists may have had to settle much further South to avoid competition with the Vikings. There they would have come into competition with Spain. Maybe they would never have been able to settle anywhere in the Americas.

Zarin

The Vikings did found colonies in North America. They may have explored even further into North America than anyone has yet suspected. Only that evidence has not yet been discovered or yet proven about some questionable evidence.They may have even influenced the mythos of the Eastern Native tribes. Moreover, there may have been many other European groups, who entered North America and bred with the local people's over the last 5,000 years. What is known is that a mini Ice Age descended on the northern hemisphere after the first Viking colonies were established and they became completely unviable. What is not known for sure is if those original settlers moved back to their homeland or went to the warmer south and eventually genetically fused with native people's. Or were extinguished by them.
If, however, the Vikings had begun a major colonization of the lands which now consist of the Eastern United States, along the warmer areas of the eastern coast, they would have become a major power in North America. Depending on their fecundity (which would have been fantastic due to the plentiful food, timber resources and food growing knowledge of the indigenous peoples.). They would have had to subdue the powerful Haudenosaunee Confederacy or the numerous Algonquins, but that might not have been too difficult with those Viking iron swords, metal shields, metal armor and archery technology. No one else could have possibly stood in their way once the Haudenosaunee and Algonquin were under their control. Of course, sources for iron would have to be located. Certain regions around the Great Lakes are rich in both iron and copper. The Native peoples were already mining and processing copper from this region before the white man arrived. Plus, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are rich in coal deposits. Not to mention the over-abundant wood resources available. The Vikings could have built large fleets of exploratory ships and colonized all the way to Florida and with even further expanded exploration up the Mississippi. There actually was no limit to how far they might have reached in their ships. It took the British and French only a mere 150 years to settle vast areas of Eastern North America.
By the time Columbus arrived, the Vikings would be the major power in the New World. Possibly the only one, depending on how quickly they expanded. Plus with their vast resources and potential population from this New World, they could easily return and conquer the old one. And with such resources, who could have stopped them? The Vikings were already the most feared people in Europe. Just seeing a Viking ship in the vicinity sent people fleeing in panic.
Imagine the potential millions of prosperous, strong and virile Viking forces that would have emerged from the New World. And who knows how far they might deign to conquer, if they chose to. Could anyone have stopped these giant Beserkers?

Fantasus

I think we should say the norse were settlers or "colonists" but only for a part did they "go viking", since "viking" is not about ethnicity or birth, but what they did (plundering, etcetera). The main purpose of settling those lands were not plundering, since there were noone to plunder, it was to get "new land".

kazeuma

The Viking outpost was just that an outpost. There was no hope for expansion. Firstly, they did not have the man-power. There was a civil war over which viking was going to be king of Norway, so many vikings were there. Secondly, tech level. The vikings were no better than the people they were among - sure that had iron swords, iron armor, and horses. But they did not have the items that gave the Spanish and later Europeans the edge - Gunpowder, a God-given mission to do it, and small-pox. Thirdly, from what the vikings knew of the Americas, it was just a bunch of ice-fields, grapelands, and bears. They had no idea of how far they would have to go to meet any real resistance - sic. the Maya or the Aztecs.

tjadams

The Vikings would have run into the same Amerindian resistance
that later Europeans did and they would never have the resources,
time or funds to fully establish a foothold.

emperor of seleucid

Indians kick them out