How did the settlers arrive on the continent?

Answer 1

They used ships from various European countries, usually taking anywhere from a few weeks to months to arrive. The very first European settlers (Vikings) took a route from Iceland -> Greenland -> Newfoundland on longboats. Later arrivals primarily took a northern route, passing south of Newfoundland, from Britain or France to arrive at New England or New France. In other places, Spain took a southerly route from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. In Alaska, Russians crossed from the Bering Strait into the Aleutian Islands and Alaskan Panhandle, moving south towards California.