History The first known inhabitants of modern-day United States territory are believed to have arrived over a period of several thousand years beginning sometime prior to 15,000 ~50,000 years ago by crossing Beringia[3]into Alaska.Solid evidence of these cultures settling in what would become the U.S.is dated to around 14,000 years ago. Columbus'men were the first who documented Old Worlders[4]to land in the territory of what is now the United States when they arrived in Puerto Rico during their second voyage in 1493.Juan Ponce de Leon,who arrived in Florida in 1513,is credited as being the first European to land in what is now the continental United States,although some evidence suggests that John Cabot might have reached what is presently New England in 1498. History The first known inhabitants of modern-day United States territory are believed to have arrived over a period of several thousand years beginning sometime prior to 15,000 ~ 50,000 years ago by crossing Beringia[3] into Alaska. Solid evidence of these cultures settling in what would become the U.S. is dated to around 14,000 years ago. Columbus’men were the first who documented Old Worlders[4] to land in the territory of what is now the United States when they arrived in Puerto Rico during their second voyage in 1493. Juan Ponce de León, who arrived in Florida in 1513, is credited as being the first European to land in what is now the continental United States, although some evidence suggests that John Cabot might have reached what is presently New England in 1498