Jonah Patel
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, is a sophisticated and thriving society of over 5,000 people. The Confederacy is made up of five tribes: Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca, with the Tuscarora nation joining in around 1722. The Iroquois established their own constitution, the Great Law of Peace, which may have been adopted as early as the 12th century. The Iroquois' constitution and government influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution, particularly Benjamin Franklin, who was impressed by the Iroquois' ability to unite and govern themselves. The U.S. Senate formally acknowledged this influence in a 1988 resolution, which also reaffirmed the sovereignty of Native nations and their governments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Multi-state government | The Iroquois Confederacy was a union of five nations: the Mohawks, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, the Oneidas, and the Senecas. In around 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined them, and together they formed a multi-state government while maintaining their own individual governance. |
| Federalist principles | The Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles, such as ensuring individual governance and freedoms, impressed the constitutional framers. |
| Great Law of Peace | The Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils, allowed individual tribes to handle their own affairs while coming together to solve issues of common importance. It served as a model for the U.S. Constitution and influenced American democracy. |
| Influence on Benjamin Franklin | Benjamin Franklin was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy, as evidenced by his 1751 letter advocating for colonial union and his proposal of the Albany Plan of Union in 1754. |
| Recognition by U.S. Congress | In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution and reaffirming the government-to-government relationship between Indian tribes and the United States. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles inspired the US Constitution
- The Iroquois Confederacy was a real-life example of the political concepts framers wanted to adopt
- The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles influenced the US Constitution
- The Iroquois Confederacy's concept of a voluntary Union inspired the unification of the 13 colonies
- The Iroquois Confederacy's governance model promoted strong kinship bonds and leadership through service
The Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles inspired the US Constitution
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, is a union of six nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. The Confederacy is a multi-state government, with each nation maintaining its own individual governance.
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. In the letter, Franklin expresses his admiration for the Iroquois Confederacy's ability to maintain a unified and indissoluble union while asserting that it should be even easier for the English colonies to do the same.
When the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in 1787 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 Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles, as observed by the constitutional framers, influenced the US Constitution. The Confederacy's structure, with its individual tribes handling their own affairs while coming together to address issues of common importance, impressed the framers. This concept of "unification through mutual defense" and the conduct of foreign affairs influenced the constitutional framers' thinking.
Additionally, the Iroquois Confederacy provided a real-life example of political concepts that the framers wanted to adopt. The Great Law of Peace, the constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy, is said to have inspired the US Constitution, with the founders echoing its principles in their draft.
However, it is important to note that the Iroquois Confederacy was not an exact model for the US Constitution. The constitutional framers also had their biases and viewed Indigenous people as inferior. The congressional journals contain minimal references to the Iroquois Confederacy, and some sources dispute the extent of its influence on the US Constitution.
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The Iroquois Confederacy was a real-life example of the political concepts framers wanted to adopt
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, was 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 originally consisted of five separate nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, and the Seneca. In around 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined them.
The Iroquois Confederacy was a federalist political system, 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. This multi-state government that ensured individual governance and freedoms was of particular interest to the framers of the U.S. Constitution, who were seeking to adopt similar political concepts.
The framers of the Constitution were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs and shortly thereafter, they drafted the U.S. Constitution, echoing the Great Law of Peace. The Iroquois Confederacy's structure influenced the constitutional framers' thinking, providing them with a real-life example of the political concepts they wanted to adopt.
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 wrote:
> "It would be a very strange Thing, if six Nations of ignorant Savages should be capable of forming a Scheme for such an Union, and be able to execute it in such a Manner, as that it has subsisted Ages, and appears indissoluble; and yet that a like Union should be impracticable for ten or a Dozen English Colonies, to whom it is more necessary, and must be more advantageous; and who cannot be supposed to want an equal Understanding of their Interests."
In 1744, the Onondaga leader Canassatego gave a speech urging the contentious 13 colonies to unite, as the Iroquois had at the signing of the Treaty of Lancaster. This cultural exchange inspired Benjamin Franklin to print Canassatego’s speech, which included the following excerpt:
> "We heartily recommend Union and a good Agreement between you our Brethren... Never disagree, but preserve a strict Friendship for one another, and thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger. Our wise Forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations; this has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same Methods our wise Forefathers have taken, you will acquire fresh Strength and Power; therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out one."
In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. The resolution also reaffirmed the continuing government-to-government relationship between Indian tribes and the United States established in the Constitution.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles influenced the US Constitution
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, comprises a unified group of six nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. The Confederacy is governed by a constitution called the Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils where individual tribes handle their affairs but unite to address issues of common importance.
The Iroquois Confederacy is considered to have influenced the US Constitution. When the Constitutional Convention delegates met in 1787, they sought to establish a democratic government for the United States. However, there were no contemporary democracies in Europe to emulate. As a result, they turned to the democratic forms of government exhibited by Native American nations, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles, which allowed individual tribes to maintain their governance while uniting under a multi-state government, impressed the framers of the Constitution.
The Great Law of Peace inspired the US Constitution's focus on individual governance and freedoms. Benjamin Franklin, influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy, advocated for the unification of the 13 colonies and promoted democratic principles in his writings. In 1754, Franklin drafted the Albany Plan of Union, which called for the colonies to unite and improve their security and defence against foreign powers. Franklin's ideas were informed by the Iroquois Confederacy's ability to maintain a powerful union while preserving the individual governance of each tribe.
The Iroquois Confederacy's influence on the US Constitution was formally acknowledged by the US Senate in a 1988 resolution. This resolution recognised that the US republic "was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy" and that "many of the democratic principles were incorporated into the constitution itself". The resolution also reaffirmed the legitimacy and sovereignty of Native American nations and their governments.
The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles, including the separation of responsibilities in government, the balance of power, and the process for removing leaders from power, have had a lasting impact on the US Constitution and continue to shape American democracy today.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's concept of a voluntary Union inspired the unification of the 13 colonies
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, is a confederation of Native American and First Nations peoples in northeast North America. The Iroquois Confederacy dates back several centuries, to when the Great Peacemaker founded it by uniting five nations: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, and they became known as the Six Nations.
The Iroquois Confederacy was a powerful factor in North American colonial policy, and its influence extended beyond the political realm. The Iroquois Confederacy's concept of a voluntary union inspired the unification of the 13 colonies. In 1744, the Onondaga leader Canassatego gave a speech urging the contentious 13 colonies to unite, as the Iroquois had done. This cultural exchange inspired English colonist Benjamin Franklin to print Canassatego's speech. Franklin was also influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy's federalist principles, which he encountered at the Albany Congress in 1754. He wrote what became known as the Albany Plan of Union, which advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers.
The Iroquois Confederacy's political system and democratic principles also influenced the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. When the Founders met in 1787 to create the U.S. Constitution, they were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs. The Iroquois Confederacy had already formed a multi-state government that ensured individual governance and freedoms. The structure of the Confederacy represented five tribes, each handling its own affairs but coming together to solve issues of common importance. This concept of a voluntary union and self-governance inspired the Founders, who shortly thereafter drafted the U.S. Constitution, echoing the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois.
In 1988, Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. The resolution stated 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 itself." This resolution reaffirmed the continuing government-to-government relationship between Indian tribes and the United States established in the Constitution, recognizing the legitimacy and sovereignty of Native nations and their governments.
The Iroquois Confederacy's concept of a voluntary union, as demonstrated by Canassatego's speech and their federalist principles, inspired the unification of the 13 colonies. The Founders were impressed by the Iroquois Confederacy's multi-state government and incorporated democratic principles into the U.S. Constitution, acknowledging the influence and sovereignty of Native American nations.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's governance model promoted strong kinship bonds and leadership through service
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, was a democratic system of governance that promoted strong kinship bonds and leadership through service. The Confederacy consisted of five separate nations: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca, with the Tuscarora joining later to make six. The Iroquois Confederacy was founded by the Great Peacemaker in 1142 and is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth.
The Iroquois Confederacy was a sophisticated and thriving society of well over 5,000 people when the first European explorers encountered them in the early seventeenth century. The peoples of the Iroquois Confederacy referred to themselves as the Haudenosaunee, which means "people of the longhouse". They lived in lengthy bark-covered longhouses that housed many families. These longhouses represented more than just places to live; they embodied the communal values and kinship ties that were central to Iroquois culture.
The Iroquois Confederacy was based on consensus and the collective decision-making of its member nations. Each nation maintained its own leadership, but they all agreed that common causes would be decided in the Grand Council of Chiefs. The Iroquois expected their leaders to uphold the values of honesty, integrity, and humility, serving as custodians of the collective welfare and guardians of the natural world. Leadership was not about material gain but about service to others.
The Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils, ensured that individual tribes handled their own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance. This law was the basis for the Iroquois Confederacy Constitution, which held many concepts familiar to United States citizens today. The Iroquois model of governance focused on the creation of strong kinship bonds and the belief that decisions made today should lead to sustainability for seven generations into the future.
The Iroquois Confederacy had a significant influence on the writings of the U.S. Constitution. Benjamin Franklin, for example, was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote what became known as the Albany Plan of Union. This plan advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. The confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, and many of their democratic principles were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Iroquois Confederacy, governed by a constitution called the Great Law of Peace, was a political union of five (later six) Native American nations that controlled much of the Northeastern part of North America. The Iroquois gained a sophisticated and thriving society of well over 5,000 people when the first European explorers encountered them in the early seventeenth century.
The Iroquois Constitution influenced the US Constitution by providing a real-life example of some of the political concepts the framers were interested in adopting. The US Constitution borrowed concepts and ideas from a much older democracy that had existed in North America long before European settlers first arrived. The Iroquois Constitution's focus on the "seventh generation" principle, which dictates that decisions made today should lead to sustainability for seven generations into the future, is an example of this.
While the Iroquois Constitution and the US Constitution shared some similarities, such as a focus on individual liberty and democratic principles, there were also key differences. The Iroquois Constitution provided for matriarchal appointment of lawmakers, while the US Constitution provided for general elections. The Iroquois Constitution had fixed terms for lawmakers, while the US Constitution did not. The Iroquois Constitution assumed a state religion, while the US Constitution was neutral among religions.
Benjamin Franklin was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote what became known as the Albany Plan of Union, which advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. Franklin also invited representatives of the Iroquois Nations to help promote these ideas and urged the 13 colonies to unite as the Iroquois had.
