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Early History
Home » Maine » Maine History and Overview » Early HistoryAt one time, Maine was the home for dozens of Indian tribes. Of those, four remain today: the Passamaquoddies, the Penoscots, the Micmacs, and the Maliseets. The most prevalent are the Passamaquoddies and the Penoscots. It is believed that Maine was happened upon first by Viking Leif Ericson some five hundred years before Columbus “discovered” America. It wasn’t until 1607, thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed, that the first settlement was established at Popham. For those of you that are history buffs, you might recognize this date also being that of the settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. Because of the harsh winters in Maine, many of its early settlements including Popham couldn’t survive and that is why Jamestown carries the recognition as America’s first official settlement, although Maine can lay claim to the first chartered town of York in 1641. During these early years, Massachusetts began to buy up the vacant, rugged, land of Maine and in the 1700s they offered 100 acres free to anyone who would settle in the area. This gave Maine its first population boom and by the end of the century there were approximately 150,000 settlers calling Maine their home.
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