Final answer:
Maize agriculture originally began in Mesoamerica, where maize was first domesticated from the teosinte plant around 5,500 years ago. It became a staple crop that was integral to the development of Mesoamerican cultures and agricultural practices. Central Mexico is specifically noted as an initial region of maize cultivation, facilitating the spread of this crop throughout the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The initial cultivation and domestication of maize, also known as corn, began in Mesoamerica. This region, which stretches from Central Mexico to Honduras, saw the beginnings of agricultural revolutions some 10,000 years ago with the domestication of squash plants. Following this, beans were domesticated around 6,000 BP, and finally, maize was domesticated around 5,500 BP from a wild grass called teosinte. The agricultural traditions that developed in Mesoamerica eventually spread to other regions, including the southwestern United States and the Andean region, albeit maize never became a dietary staple in the latter as it did in its place of origin. The staple crops of Mesoamerican agriculture were known as the Mesoamerican triad - corn, beans, and squash - and were pivotal in the rise of sedentary agricultural communities in the region.
Evidence suggests that maize agriculture was independently cultivated in central Mexico about six thousand years ago, from which it expanded throughout Mesoamerica and beyond. The domestication of maize led to a transition from migratory lifestyles to sedentary agricultural villages, prompting significant changes in social hierarchies and specialized work. Domesticated maize eventually reached the Eastern Woodlands, the Andean region, and far beyond, illustrated by its introduction to the Eastern Hemisphere in the Columbian Exchange.