Which explorer received credit for establishing the first permanent colonies in the Americas?

Christopher Columbus is often credited with establishing the first permanent European colonies in the Americas. His voyages, starting in 1492, led to the Spanish colonization of parts of the Caribbean, particularly Hispaniola. While earlier Norse explorations, such as those by Leif Erikson, reached North America, Columbus's expeditions marked the beginning of extensive European settlement and colonization in the New World.