Final answer:
Native Americans lived in a subsistence economy focused on immediate needs with limited trade before the development of an agricultural economy. Trade networks existed but were not central to their way of life, and the arrival of Europeans disrupted these systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to the American economy developing into an agricultural economy, Native Americans lived in a subsistence economy with some trade among tribes. These Native societies were mainly dispersed and did not have large, organized social structures like the Aztec or Mayan civilizations.
They engaged in hunting and gathering, with crop cultivation and domesticated animals coming into practice in certain regions over time. Trade existed but was not as extensive due to the migratory nature of many tribes and the emphasis on communal rather than personal property, making trade networks less critical to their way of life compared to later agricultural and market economies.
With the arrival of Europeans, the elements of trade among tribes changed as European traders established new trading partnerships and eventually seized territory, which severely disrupted local economies.
The introduction of horses by the Spanish significantly impacted the Plains tribes, enhancing their ability to hunt bison, but overall, the economic systems of Native American tribes prior to European contact were primarily geared towards meeting immediate needs rather than the accumulation of wealth or expansion of trade.