USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Corn or “Maize” is arguably the most important food crop to be cultivated in North America. The summer corn harvest was so important to the indigenous peoples of North America that many tribes held religious ceremonies to pray for a successful crop.

Detailed explanation-2: -Native Americans, including the Lenape of the Delaware Valley, used corn for many types of food. The foods which we know were derived from corn in the Iroquois nations include dumplings, tamales, hominy, and a ceremonial “wedding cake” bread. Today, corn has become the most widely grown crop in the western hemisphere.

Detailed explanation-3: -Anthropologists have found petrified corncobs over 5000 years old in Indian ruins. Columbus took corn back to Spain, and from there, corn was introduced to western European farmers. The Indian name for corn is maize (ma-hiz). Indians helped early European settlers by teaching them how to grow corn to eat.

Detailed explanation-4: -Squash. As one of the “Three Sisters, ” three main agricultural crops native to North America (along with beans and corn), squash varieties come in different shapes and sizes.