Simone Lawson
The Iroquois Confederacy and the US Constitution have been compared by historians, political scientists, and journalists, with some arguing that the former influenced the latter. The Iroquois Confederacy is a union of six Native American nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. In 1988, the US Congress passed a resolution acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution. While the exact nature and extent of this influence are debated, some similarities and connections between the two political systems have been noted.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Multi-state government | The Iroquois Confederacy was a multi-state government consisting of six nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. |
| Individual governance and freedoms | Each tribe handled its own affairs while maintaining unity through mutual defense and conducting foreign affairs together. |
| Federalism | The Iroquois Confederacy's structure of individual tribes governing their own affairs while coming together to solve issues of common importance influenced the federalist principles in the US Constitution. |
| Democratic principles | The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles, such as the Great Law of Peace, influenced the democratic ideals incorporated into the US Constitution. |
| Separation of powers | The notion of separation of powers in the US Constitution may have been influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy's division of powers. |
| Individual liberty | The Iroquois Confederacy's concept of individual liberty may have influenced the framers of the US Constitution. |
| Symbolism | The US adopted Native American symbols such as the American bald eagle and a bundle of arrows, which may have been influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Iroquois Confederacy and the US Constitution both have federalist principles
- The Iroquois Confederacy influenced the US Constitution's democratic principles
- The Iroquois Confederacy inspired the US Constitution's multi-state government
- The Iroquois Confederacy influenced the US Constitution's foreign affairs approach
- The Iroquois Confederacy's Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution
The Iroquois Confederacy and the US Constitution both have federalist principles
The Iroquois Confederacy and the US Constitution are said to share similarities in their federalist principles. The Iroquois Confederacy, formed by the unification of five nations—the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, and the Seneca—with the Tuscarora joining later, served as a real-life example of certain political concepts that the framers of the US Constitution were interested in adopting.
The Iroquois Confederacy's structure, known as the Great Law of Peace, was federal in nature, allowing individual tribes to handle their own affairs while uniting under a multi-state government. This inspired the constitutional framers, who sought to establish a “voluntary Union” similar to that of the Iroquois Confederacy, as Benjamin Franklin described in a letter from 1751.
The Iroquois Confederacy's ability to maintain individual governance and freedoms within a unified nation impressed the founders of the US Constitution. They admired how the Iroquois legislated their affairs and sought to emulate this balance of power between individual tribes and the confederacy as a whole. This federalist principle, where certain matters are left to local governments while others are addressed collectively, is a key similarity between the two systems.
However, it is important to note that the Iroquois Confederacy and the US Constitution are not exact replicas. While the Iroquois Confederacy influenced the framers' thinking, there are significant differences in their governing principles. For example, the Iroquois Confederacy operated through consensus-based decision-making by male chiefs who gained their positions through a combination of blood descent and selection by female relatives, while the US Constitution provides for the general election of lawmakers and allows for majority rule.
In conclusion, while the US Constitution and the Iroquois Confederacy share some federalist principles, they also differ in important ways. The influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution lies in its demonstration of federalist principles in action, providing a real-world example of a unified nation that respected individual freedoms and local governance.
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The Iroquois Confederacy influenced the US Constitution's democratic principles
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, was a multi-state government formed by the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and later, the Tuscarora nation. The Confederacy was a sophisticated and thriving society of over 5,000 people when the first European explorers encountered them in the early seventeenth century.
The Iroquois Confederacy's constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace, was an oral constitution represented by symbols on wampum belts. The Great Law of Peace consisted of 117 articles, with each nation or tribe playing a delineated role in the conduct of the government.
In 1988, the US Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the democratic principles of the US Constitution. The Iroquois Confederacy provided a real-life example of some of the political concepts that the framers of the US Constitution were interested in adopting. For instance, the Iroquois Confederacy's structure of a multi-state government that maintained individual governance and freedoms of its constituent tribes inspired the constitutional framers' thinking about federalism.
Furthermore, the Iroquois Confederacy's example of unification through mutual defense and the conduct of foreign affairs influenced the framers' thinking about forming a voluntary Union of the 13 colonies. Benjamin Franklin, in a letter from 1751, wrote about the need for such a union, demonstrating the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on his thinking. Additionally, Franklin was present at 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 improve their security and better defend themselves from foreign powers.
However, it is important to note that the US Constitution and the Iroquois Confederacy's Great Law of Peace had significant differences. For example, the Great Law provided for matriarchal appointment, while the Constitution provided for the general election of lawmakers. The Great Law assumed a state religion, while the Constitution was neutral among religions. The Great Law also treated the tribes unequally, while the Constitution generally treated states equally.
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The Iroquois Confederacy inspired the US Constitution's multi-state government
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, is a union of several tribes: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. The Confederacy dates back several centuries, to when the Great Peacemaker founded it by uniting these five nations. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee.
The Iroquois Confederacy is a sophisticated and thriving society of well over 5,000 people when the first European explorers encountered them in the early seventeenth century. The Confederacy operates 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. Each tribe plays a delineated role in the conduct of government, and the law was represented by symbols on wampum belts.
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. He was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote what is known as the Albany Plan of Union. It advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers.
In 1787, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met to debate the form of government the United States should have, there were no contemporary democracies in Europe from which they could draw inspiration. The most democratic forms of government that any of the convention members had personally encountered were those of Native American nations, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy. The founders were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs, and shortly afterward, they drafted the U.S. Constitution.
In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. However, it is important to note that the Iroquois Confederacy was not an exact model for the U.S. Constitution, and there are several differences between the two forms of government. For example, the Great Law of Peace assumes a state religion, while the Constitution is neutral among religions. The Great Law provides for matriarchal appointment, while the Constitution provides for the general election of lawmakers.
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The Iroquois Confederacy influenced the US Constitution's foreign affairs approach
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, was a multi-state government consisting of the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora nation, which joined in 1722. Each tribe or nation played a delineated role in the conduct of government, maintaining its individual governance and freedoms.
The Iroquois Confederacy's structure and democratic principles influenced the US Constitution's foreign affairs approach. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin was impressed by the Great Law of Peace, which governed the Iroquois Confederacy, and wrote the Albany Plan of Union. The plan advocated for the original 13 colonies to unite and improve security to better defend themselves from foreign powers. This inspired Franklin to print a speech by Onondaga leader Canassatego, who urged the 13 colonies to "unite, as the Iroquois had".
The Iroquois Confederacy's approach to foreign affairs was based on unification through mutual defence. Each tribe handled its own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance. This influenced the constitutional framers' thinking, who sought to borrow aspects of the Iroquois Confederacy's government that enabled them to assert the sovereignty of the people over vast geographic expanses.
In 1988, the US Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution. However, some scholars dispute the extent of this influence, noting significant differences between the two forms of government.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, was a union of several tribes: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and, from 1722, the Tuscarora. The Confederacy was founded by the Great Peacemaker, who united these nations under a multi-state government that maintained individual governance and freedoms. This government was governed by The Great Law of Peace, a constitution of 117 articles that outlined laws and ceremonies to be performed at prescribed times.
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. He was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote the Albany Plan of Union in 1754, advocating for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. The influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on Franklin and other constitutional framers is evident in their admiration for its federalist principles and democratic ideals.
In 1787, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met to debate the form of government the United States should have, there were no contemporary democracies in Europe to draw inspiration from. 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, with its individual tribes handling their own affairs while coming together to solve issues of common importance, influenced the framers' thinking on federalism and individual liberties.
However, it is important to note that the Iroquois Confederacy was not an exact model for the U.S. Constitution. There are significant differences between the two, including the methods of selecting leaders and the treatment of religious and tribal matters. Additionally, the influence of the Iroquois Constitution on the U.S. Constitution is disputed by some scholars, who point to differences in decision-making processes and representation. Nonetheless, in 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the democratic principles incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, refers to the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora nation, which joined in 1722.
The Iroquois Confederacy provided a real-life example of some of the political concepts the framers of the US Constitution were interested in adopting. The Iroquois Confederacy was a multi-state government that maintained individual governance and freedoms.
Yes, the Great Law of Peace is the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. It was represented by symbols on wampum belts, which were translated into English in the 19th century.
Both constitutions forbid multiple office holdings. The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law, and the US Constitution also create bicameral legislatures.
Yes, in 1988, the US Congress passed a resolution acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution.
