It’s tough to say. Native Americans were actually very sophisticated with farming techniques, canals, and other innovations to shape the environment around them for their benefit. I highly recommend reading the book “1491″ by Charles Mann, he examines the misconceptions and false history surrounding Native Americans in a fascinating way.

Another excellent book is “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” which explains how Native Americans tended to live longer than Europeans and were in far better health overall. The free market doesn’t guarantee how a society will build; Native Americans focused on certain innovations and ideas, while Europeans and Asians explored other areas.

What the Native Americans faced with the Europeans would be akin to the planet Earth being invaded by an alien species. If we were attacked and enslaved by an alien species with advanced weapons, different fighting tactics, and so on, it would hardly be the fault of the free market. The Native Americans were put into unfortunate extraordinary circumstances, and only today are we beginning to uncover their true identities and histories.

Anyway, take a look at 1491 if you get a chance, it’s the best book I’ve read in a while; very thought provoking and a great read.

I always thought that innovation would favor the free market, but native americans didn’t have as sophisticated tools, heck they didn’t even have the wheel.