Answer:
Sumerian cuneiform is the earliest known writing system. Its origins can be traced back to about 8,000 BC and it developed from the pictographs and other symbols used to represent trade goods and livestock on clay tablets. Originally the Sumerians made small tokens out of clay to represent the items.
The first European settlement was established by Christopher Columbus and his men: on Hispaniola (today's Haiti): La Navidad, in 1492.
It was abandoned next year, but other settlements on Hispaniola took over (and they were earlier than the other options).
The general public is the group that tends to be negatively affected by eminent domain laws.