Origins

• The hammock is thought to be an invention of the Mayan Indians in Central America. The earliest hammocks were woven from the bark of the Hamak tree, replaced by the Sisal plant, whose fibers could be softened.
  
  

Evolution

• The extensive trade routes between the Indian nations of Central and South America permitted the adoption of the hammock in almost every country in Central America, including Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Mexico, and in South American countries including Brazil and Ecuador. Hammocks were made in a multitude of styles out of indigenous materials, including the classic cloth or fabric hammock that evolved in Brazil.
  
  

North American Adoption

• The hammock is mentioned in the logbook of Christopher Columbus's first travel. Columbus was introduced to the hammock, or "hamaca," by the Taino Indians, a tribe from Haiti, in 1492, according to The Hammock Company.com. In Europe, the early use of the hammock is especially associated with British and French sailors, and they were also used in British prisons in the 19th century to save space.