Why was the development of maize by Native Americans significant?
1 Answer
One significance is that the development of maize created a surplus of food, that allowed the development of advanced cultures.
Explanation:
Maize allowed a farmer to produce much more food than he needed to support himself and his family. The excess food could be used to support people not directly tied to the production of food.
The excess allowed people to spend time developing techonlogy, art, culture, and government. The excess also allowed the formation of standing armies and professional soldiers.
The government was able to use the standing army to expand the influence of a local government. As these governments expanded the empires were able to form.
The advanced cultures of Meso American would not have been formed without the development of maize.
