Historians still agree about the date of Columbus’s voyage. But did this European adventurer discover America? We now know that certain explorers from other parts of the globe set foot on American shores long before 1492–and that others may have done so. And “discovery” takes on a different meaning when the new land already has people living in it.

As artifacts are unearthed and analyzed, the story of human presence in the Americas continues to unfold. Looking deeper and deeper into the past, acclaimed nonfiction writer Russell Freedman tells this evolving story, touching on such evidence as Viking runes, Chinese legends, Mayan stonework, and mysterious objects found in New England. Thoroughly researched and impeccably documented, Who Was First? is a compelling account of many discoverers of the Americas.