How come there were no civilizations in North America?

Question

Mexico had Maya and Aztec, Peru had Inca.
Maybe Canada was too cold to thrive a civilization, but how come modern days US never had a prosperous civilization or an empire like the Aztec or the Inca?

Are there any plausible reasons or explanations for that?

What I meant was a huge civilization that equivalent to Aztec, Inca or Medieval Kingdoms in Asia.

Answer 1

The short answer from Guns, Germs, & Steel, a mighty fine book on many topics, including this one, is lack of food.

The hearths of civilization all have a commonality: many different types of food grew there for agriculture. In the U.S. area, that food was not there so agriculture did not develop until corn made its way north. So any US development would have happened after South America.

Answer 2

Yes, there is. They were not sedentary, they lacked recources, and in some places the weather was too cold. However, civilization is not only buildings and fancy clothing. It is also language, music, trade, agriculture, traditions, etc. The North American tribes had all of the above. Maybe not prosperous in riches but undtoubtedly prosperous culturally
which is what matters most in any past or modern civilization.

Answer 3

There certainly WERE civilizations in North America. Many, many, Indian civilizations, from the Iroquois confederacy, to the "mound builders" of the mid-west (some say the Cahokia site is the largest Indian city north of Mexico), to the Souix tribes of the upper mid-west, to the Navahos, Arapahos, Comanches, and Apaches of the south-west. There were many tribes in Canada too. Maybe these civilizations didn't rise to the level of the Europeans, but they definately DID exist.

Answer 4

I agree with the aspect of the Hopis in southwest US qualifying as a civilization, the legend of the El Dorodo and such originating there...the Algonquins had quite a civilized community around the Great Lakes and the Iriquois Nation prospered in the Northeast...Chief Joseph and the Nez Perz in the Northwest were considered very forward in their thinking and social norms...

Answer 5

Some North American Indian tribes had quite developed agriculture. Some in the southeast even had streets.

I am now reading a world history of genocide entitled Blood and Soil by Ben Kiernan. The settlers in the new world diminished the agricultural and other accomplishments of the people whose land they took.

Answer 6

History and the US gov't disagree with you. For awhile we had a bit of respect for the 'civilized tribes'

Cities does not necessarily mean civilization. The Sioux had a civilization, a great one at that. So did the Cherokee and the Iroquois.

Answer 7

I take "civilization" here in its technical meaning: the art of living in cities.

There are certainly remnants of cities in North America. The ancient Pueblo peoples were city builders.