Final answer:
Native Americans lived in small autonomous clans and valued personal freedom over property accumulation, which did not lead to city development. Extensive trade existed but did not foster urbanization. European goods and concepts introduced during colonization altered traditional Native lifestyles and trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Native Americans living east of the Mississippi did not develop large cities primarily because they lived in small, autonomous groups that were well-adapted to their environments and often on the move. These groups practiced communal land usage and had little drive for acquisition, instead valuing a lifestyle that allowed for substantial personal freedom. Their economic system was significantly based on immediate needs rather than surplus and accumulation of wealth, which contrasted with European settlers' values. When considering the North American continent prior to the arrival of the Europeans, some societies were more sedentary and even grew rich from extensive trade networks, but these were exceptions. Furthermore, most indigenous people did not conceive land ownership in the way Europeans did, which meant that establishing permanent cities as a form of territorial claim was an alien concept to many tribes.
Native American trade was extensive and had been for centuries before European contact, with networks like the Hopewell exchange system connecting much of the North American continent. However, the nature of such trade and the daily life of Native peoples changed upon the introduction of European goods such as textiles, metal cooking implements, and weapons. This not only altered traditional practices but also disrupted balances between tribes. Still, the intrinsic values and practices of these cultures did not naturally foster the urbanization that leads to the formation of cities, as seen with European settlers and in other civilizations around the world.