Native American Contributions to Agriculture Term Paper by Jay Writtings LLC

Native American Contributions to Agriculture
This paper examines the contributions to North American agriculture made by Native Americans.
# 119966 | 969 words | 8 sources | MLA | 2010 | US
Published on May 31, 2010 in Agricultural Studies (Plant Science) , History (U.S. Colonization of North America) , Native-American Studies (General)


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Description:

This paper takes a look at the history and contributions of Native Americans to agriculture in the Americas, with an emphasis on squash, corn, and beans or the "Three Sisters." The paper goes on to explain how native peoples believed these three crops should be planted together. Several paragraphs of the paper are devoted to describing each crop and its history. The author also describes how each item was useful to early American colonists. The paper concludes by stating that the Native Americans developed ingenious ways to cultivate the earth.

From the Paper:

"Corn dates back to it's origin as a grass on the Mexican plateau 80,000 years ago. The grass was called teosinte and is believed to have been developed by the native population. The teosinte looked very different from today's corn with small kernels not fused into a husk on an ear like early maize and modern corn. Over time, Native Americans created maize through specialized cultivation. Grass grows in segments and the ears of maize were produced at the joints of the segments. Encouraging the growth of ears on the lower joints and only replanting kernels from those successful plants eventually adapted the crop to a shorter growing season and increased the yield. As the genetics of the plant were changed, its value as a food source increased."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Miller-Sanford, Brenda. A History of Corn, Corn...One of 3 Sisters. Ontario Corn Producers Association. 4 April 2007. http://www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/history.html
  • Clack, George. Outline of US History. Chapter 1. Early America. Nov 2005. 4 April 2007. http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/histryotln/index.htm
  • Prindle, Tara. Native American History of Corn. NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art. 1994-2007. 4 April 2007. http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/cornhusk.html
  • Prindle, Tara. Planting a Three Sisters Garden. NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art. 1994-2007. 4 April 2007.http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html
  • Northarvest Bean Growers Association. Consumers and Food Service. Bean History. 3 April 2007. http://www.northarvestbean.org/html/schoolbasics.cfm

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

Native American Contributions to Agriculture (2010, May 31) Retrieved December 09, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/native-american-contributions-to-agriculture-119966/

MLA Format

"Native American Contributions to Agriculture" 31 May 2010. Web. 09 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/native-american-contributions-to-agriculture-119966/>

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