Early explorers and pioneers found evidence of possible Welsh influence among the native tribes of America, along the Tennessee and Missouri Rivers. In the 18th century, a unique local tribe called ‘Mandan’ was found. They were white men with forts, towns and permanent villages laid out in streets and squares. They claimed that they were of Welsh ancestry, and spoke a language remarkably similar to it.
Some of the anecdotes in Madoc’s story such as the navigation by the Pole Star, and the hardship of the first settlers seem to be authentic. Unfortunately, there is no direct evidence to support his story.
By the time Madoc’s story came to the limelight through literature, a great deal had been discovered about the origin of America.
Several attempts to confirm Madoc’s historicity have been made. However, historians of early America, notably Samuel Eliot Morison, regard the story as a myth.
