What process took a long time to reach North America?

The cultivation of corn took a long time to reach North America due to the migration of agricultural practices from Central and South America. Corn, originally domesticated from wild grasses in what is now Mexico, underwent thousands of years of selective breeding and cultivation before it was introduced to North American societies. This transfer of agricultural knowledge and the plant itself could not happen overnight; it required time for farming techniques to adapt to different climates and soils, as well as for indigenous groups to learn and develop agricultural techniques suited to their environments.

In contrast, writing systems and trade routes likely had more rapid adopters due to the simpler transfer of ideas compared to the complex agricultural practices and adaptations required for successful corn cultivation in new regions. Settlement patterns could be influenced by various factors including environmental and social conditions, but the specific practice of cultivating corn necessitated a more extended period of development and adaptation than the other processes listed.