The diffusion of maize cultivation in the early Americas proceeded

• A. Inability To Establish Lasting Trade Relations With Other Civilizations
• B. Vulnerability To Natural Disasters And Nomadic Invaders
• C. Failure To Develop An Efficient Administrative Class
• D. Inability To Impose Order On Competing Social Groups

Answer: (B)

The spread of maize across the Americas depended on stable farming communities and reliable exchange networks. When natural disasters struck or nomadic groups raided, farms could be destroyed, seeds lost, and trade routes disrupted. That kind of instability directly slowed or interrupted the transmission of maize knowledge and seed varieties to new regions, making diffusion more difficult. In contrast, the other options emphasize political or organizational factors, which are less about how a crop moves across landscapes and more about governance or trade relations that aren’t as central to the practical spread of a crop through neighboring communities.