Omar Bennett
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, is a political system that predates the US Constitution by several centuries. The Confederacy was formed by the Great Peacemaker, who united five nations: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. The sixth nation, the Tuscarora, joined in 1722. The Confederacy's constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace, is said to have inspired the US Constitution. While some historians argue that the US Constitution borrowed democratic principles from the Iroquois Confederacy, others claim that there is no compelling evidence of direct imitation. Congress passed a resolution in 1988, acknowledging the Iroquois' contribution to American democracy and the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the Iroquois Confederacy | Late 12th century (c. 1190) or several centuries ago |
| Number of Nations in the Confederacy | Five or six |
| Names of the Nations | Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora |
| Alternative Names | Haudenosaunee, Iroquois League |
| Influence on the U.S. Constitution | Disputed among historians, but acknowledged by Congress in 1988 |
| Examples of Similarities | Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, separation of powers, forbidding multiple office holding |
| Examples of Differences | Iroquois had no denial of suffrage to women, used consensus instead of majority rule, and had a more tri-cameral than bicameral structure |
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The Iroquois Confederacy and its influence on the US Constitution
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, is a political system that united five nations: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee. The Confederacy is governed by the Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 articles where individual tribes handle their own affairs but unite to address issues of common importance.
When the Founding Fathers met in 1787 to debate the form of government the United States should adopt, there were no contemporary democracies in Europe that could serve as models. The most democratic forms of government that the convention members had encountered were those of Native American nations, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy. The structure of the Confederacy, which allowed each tribe to govern itself while also uniting for mutual defence and the conduct of foreign affairs, impressed the framers of the Constitution.
In 1751, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter describing the need for the 13 colonies to form a "voluntary Union" similar to that of the Iroquois Confederacy. Franklin also attended the Albany Congress in 1754, where he was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and subsequently wrote the Albany Plan of Union, which advocated for the colonies to unite to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. In addition, John Rutledge of South Carolina, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, read excerpts of various Iroquois Treaties to the drafting committee.
In 1988, Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The resolution noted that "the confederation of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself." However, some historians argue that there is no compelling evidence that the Founding Fathers directly imitated the Iroquois Great Law when writing the Constitution, and that any similarities can be explained by other factors. For example, both the Iroquois Constitution and the U.S. Constitution forbid multiple office holding, but this idea was already part of the "Radical Whig" political agenda, to which most of the American Founders subscribed.
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The Great Law of Peace and its principles
The Great Law of Peace, also known as Gayanashagowa, is the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. The law was represented by symbols on wampum belts, which functioned as mnemonic devices for storytellers. The original five member nations ratified this constitution near modern-day Victor, New York, with the sixth nation (the Tuscarora) being added in 1722. The laws were first recorded and transmitted by means of wampum, shell-bead belts that encoded the message in a sequence of pictograms. The Great Law of Peace is presented as part of a narrative noting laws and ceremonies to be performed at prescribed times.
The Great Law of Peace is divided into 117 articles. The united Iroquois nations are symbolized by an eastern white pine tree, called the Tree of Peace. Each nation or tribe plays a delineated role in the conduct of government. The Great Law of Peace dictates that there shall be one War Chief for each Nation, and their duties include carrying messages for their Lords and taking up the arms of war in case of emergency. The War Chief does not participate in the proceedings of the Confederate Council but watches its progress. If a War Chief acts contrary to instructions or against the provisions of the Laws of the Great Peace, they shall be deposed by their women and men relatives.
The Great Law of Peace also outlines the process for declaring war. If two sons of opposite sides of the council fire agree to hear the reciting of the laws of the Great Peace, they shall notify Adodarho, who will consult with his coactive Lords and their brethren. Adodarho will then send messengers to notify the Chief Lords of each of the Five Nations, who will dispatch their War Chiefs to notify their brother and cousin Lords of the meeting. When all have assembled, a chosen Lord will repeat the laws of the Great Peace.
The principles of the Great Law of Peace include the concept of peace and consensus rather than fighting. Each nation maintains its own leadership, but all agree that common causes will be decided in the Grand Council of Chiefs. The Great Law of Peace also includes democratic principles such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and separation of powers in government. The seventh-generation principle dictates that decisions made today should lead to sustainability for seven generations into the future.
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The Albany Plan of Union
The plan was suggested by Benjamin Franklin, who was inspired by the Iroquois Confederacy's system of common government. Franklin had attended the Albany Congress in 1754, where he was impressed by the Iroquois' Great Law of Peace. He wrote what became known as the Albany Plan of Union, which called for the colonies to unite and improve their security and defence against foreign powers.
Franklin's plan proposed a general government to be administered by a President-General, appointed and supported by the Crown. It also included a Grand Council, consisting of delegates nominated by the lower houses of the colonial assemblies. The number of delegates from each colony would be roughly proportionate to its size, ranging from a minimum of two to a maximum of seven. However, each colony would have only one vote, and decision-making would be by unanimous consensus. The Grand Council would have powers such as treaty-making, taxation, and raising army and naval forces.
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Iroquois' ideas about government
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, refers to the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples. They call themselves the Haudenosaunee, meaning "people of the longhouse", in reference to their lengthy bark-covered longhouses that house many families. The Iroquois Confederacy dates back several centuries, to when the Great Peacemaker founded it by uniting five nations: Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois.
The Iroquois Confederacy is governed by the Great Law of Peace, an oral constitution represented by symbols on wampum belts. The laws were first recorded and transmitted by means of wampum, shell-bead belts that encoded the message in a sequence of pictograms. In the 19th century, it was translated into English and other languages. The Great Law of Peace is presented as part of a narrative noting laws and ceremonies to be performed at prescribed times. The laws, called a constitution, are divided into 117 articles. Each nation or tribe plays a delineated role in the conduct of government.
The Iroquois Confederacy is a federalist system where individual tribes handle their own affairs but come together to solve issues of common importance. For example, marriage and divorce are handled within the village, while foreign affairs are conducted at the confederacy level. The Iroquois Confederacy is also notable for its inclusion of women in government, who had the power to select chiefs and veto wars.
In 1988, the US Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution. However, the resolution did not suggest that the Founding Fathers directly imitated the Iroquois Great Law when they wrote the US Constitution. Instead, it noted that the confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles incorporated into the Constitution.
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Iroquois' contribution to American democracy
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations or the Haudenosaunee, dates back several centuries. It was founded when the Great Peacemaker united five nations: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois.
The Iroquois Confederacy has been described as a "sophisticated and thriving society" with a multi-state government that ensured individual governance and freedom. The structure of the Confederacy was federal in nature, operating under The Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils where individual tribes handled their own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance.
In 1988, Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. The resolution noted that "the confederation of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself."
However, there is debate among historians about the extent of the Iroquois' influence on the U.S. Constitution. Some argue that there is no compelling evidence that the Founding Fathers directly imitated the Iroquois Great Law when they wrote the U.S. Constitution, and that any similarities can be explained by other factors. For example, both the Iroquois Constitution and the U.S. Constitution forbid multiple office holding, but this idea was already a key plank in the "Radical Whig" political agenda, to which most of the American Founders subscribed.
Despite this debate, it is clear that the Iroquois Confederacy and their Great Law of Peace had a significant impact on the development of democratic institutions in the United States and beyond. Benjamin Franklin, for example, was inspired by the Iroquois' ideas about government and later used them in a proposal for a confederation of the American colonies. In addition, 19th-century American feminists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who had Iroquois neighbors in upstate New York, were inspired by the Iroquois' notion of gender equality.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no compelling evidence that the Founding Fathers directly imitated the Iroquois Constitution when they wrote the US Constitution. However, historians agree that the Iroquois had a major influence on the writings of the US Constitution.
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, refers to the peoples of the Iroquois, who refer to themselves as the Haudenosaunee, meaning "people of the longhouse". The Confederacy originally consisted of five separate nations: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois.
The Iroquois Confederacy was of particular interest to the Founding Fathers as it was the most democratic form of government that any of the convention members had encountered. The US Constitution's federal structure, democratic principles, and notions of individual liberty and the separation of powers were influenced by the living example of the Iroquois Confederacy.
