Southwestern America History

It is difficult to imagine that agriculture was not always the dominant aliment in the United States. In a world where people are completely disconnected from where their food comes from, and the process it takes to get agricultural commodities from farm to retail outlets. The history of agriculture in the United States is an interesting topic, especially in the Deserts of the Southwestern US. Today the Southwest has developed into an important hub for agricultural production where wheat, sorghum, fruit, vegetables, nursery, cotton, rice, cattle, dairy, and hay are produced throughout the region. This was not always the case, prior to European settlement in North America, Natives had implemented agricultural practices that were eventually

The origin of agriculture in the United States is highly debated and archeologists have yet to find substantial evidence as to the origin of Maiz. However, there is agreement that Maiz was the first agricultural commodity in present the region. During my research, I found that each regions tribes implemented unique methods of production. This is mainly because agricultural production amongst native Americas came second to the communal efforts of hunting and gathering. There is also speculation that there were previous efforts to plant and produce Maiz, but the limited variation of Maiz did not fare well in the arid climate/soil of the southwestern desert. Life was difficult for many of these tribes food and water was scarce at times, and agriculture eventually became a

One of the main challenges that Natives faced with agriculture was the inability to store their yields. They were faced with a dilemma where everything had to be consumed in a finite time. This was especially troubling for a culture who typically shares strong beliefs of maintaining the harmonious balance with Mother Nature. This was a recurring theme Ceremony. However, the development of ceramics altered the course of agricultural production for Natives. It is believed that ceramic originated in Mexico and eventually made its way to the southwest. Pottery gave Natives a way to store what they produced for much longer periods of time, and was key for the evolving diets of natives. Another important influence was the development of irrigation. Archeologists discovered sophisticated irrigation cannels in New Mexico and Sonora Mexico. It is difficult to imagine agricultural production without irrigation, but a majority of Native tribes were resilient and managed without irrigation. Overall, natives were imperative to creating the foundation for modern