Eleanor Finch
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, is the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois Confederacy is a powerful multi-state government formed by the union of five nations: the Mohawks, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, the Oneidas, and the Senecas. The constitution is divided into 117 articles, with each nation or tribe playing a delineated role in the conduct of government. The exact date of its creation is unknown, but it is thought to date back to the late 12th century (c. 1190). The Great Law of Peace was first recorded and transmitted through wampum belts, which were shell-bead belts that encoded the message in a sequence of pictograms. The laws were later translated into English and other languages in the 19th century. The Iroquois Constitution has been recognized as a significant influence on the framers of the U.S. Constitution, with its federalist principles and democratic ideals inspiring the founding fathers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | c. 1190 |
| Number of Nations | Six |
| Nations | Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora |
| Also known as | Haudenosaunee ("Six Nations") |
| Founder | Hiawatha |
| Original number of nations | Five |
| Date Tuscarora joined | 1722 |
| Constitution | Oral |
| Number of Articles | 117 |
| Symbol | Eastern white pine tree (Tree of Peace) |
| Influence on US Constitution | Significant |
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What You'll Learn
- The Iroquois Constitution is also known as the Great Law of Peace
- The Iroquois Confederacy is a multi-state government
- The US Constitution was influenced by the Iroquois Constitution
- The Iroquois Constitution is divided into 117 articles
- The Iroquois Constitution was conceived by the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha
The Iroquois Constitution is also known as the Great Law of Peace
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, is an oral constitution represented by symbols on wampum belts, which are belts made of shell beads. The wampum belts functioned as mnemonic devices for storytellers. The Great Law of Peace was conceived by Dekanawidah, known as the Great Peacemaker, and his spokesman Hiawatha. 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, with the shell-bead belts encoding 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 a doctrine of 117 codicils where individual tribes handled their own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance. The six nations were the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples, also known as the "Six Nations" or the Haudenosaunee. 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 the government.
The Iroquois Confederacy dates back several centuries, to when the Great Peacemaker founded it by uniting the five nations. Hiawatha is credited in Native American tradition as the founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. This multi-state government maintained its own individual governance. The constitutional framers sought to borrow aspects of Iroquois government that enabled them to assert the people's sovereignty over vast geographic expanses. The Iroquois, like the Shawnee, Cherokee, and other political formations, generally separated military and civil leadership and guarded certain personal freedoms, including freedom of religion. They also included somewhat democratic policies for referendums, vetoes, and recalls, and gave women a large role in government.
The Iroquois Constitution is thought to have influenced the writing of the U.S. Constitution. In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed Concurrent Resolution 331 to recognize the influence of the Iroquois Constitution upon the American Constitution and Bill of Rights.
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The Iroquois Confederacy is a multi-state government
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, is a powerful multi-state government that has been in existence for several centuries. It was formed when the Great Peacemaker, Dekanawidah, united five nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, and the Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, and together these six nations formed a multi-state government while maintaining their own individual governance. Hiawatha, Dekanawidah's spokesman, is credited in Native American tradition as the founder of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Iroquois Confederacy is notable for its federal structure, with each tribe or nation playing a delineated role in the conduct of government. The laws, called a constitution, are divided into 117 articles, with each article represented by a symbol on a wampum belt. The united Iroquois nations are symbolized by an eastern white pine tree, called the Tree of Peace. The Iroquois Confederacy is an example of a relatively complex government with democratic elements, including the separation of military and civil leadership and the protection of certain personal freedoms, such as freedom of religion.
The Iroquois Confederacy has been recognized as a significant influence on the U.S. Constitution. The Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, were familiar with Native American nations and negotiated treaties and engaged in diplomatic relations with them. They admired the federalist principles and democratic ideals of the Iroquois Confederacy, and these ideas may have inspired the structure of the U.S. government and the separation of powers.
In 1987, during the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, public awareness of the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the American Constitution increased. This led to the U.S. Congress passing Concurrent Resolution 331 in 1988, recognizing the impact of the Iroquois Constitution on the American Constitution and Bill of Rights.
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The US Constitution was influenced by the Iroquois Constitution
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, 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 US Constitution, on the other hand, was signed in 1787. At the time, there were no contemporary democracies in Europe that could serve as an inspiration for the US Constitution. 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 Iroquois Confederacy was a multi-state government that ensured individual governance and freedoms. The structure of the Confederacy represented five tribes: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. It 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. The Founders were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs and shortly thereafter, they drafted the US Constitution echoing the Great Law of Peace.
While there is evidence of influence and inspiration, it is important to note that the Iroquois Constitution did not directly shape the US Constitution. The US Constitution is a synthesis of various forms of political organization familiar to the Founding Fathers, including but not limited to the Iroquois Confederacy.
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The Iroquois Constitution is divided into 117 articles
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, is divided into 117 articles. The Great Law of Peace is the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Six Nations, comprising the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples. 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. Each nation or tribe plays a delineated role in the conduct of the government. The united Iroquois nations are symbolized by an eastern white pine tree, called the Tree of Peace. The exact date of the events is not known, but it is thought to date back to the late 12th century (c. 1190).
The Great Law of Peace was conceived by Dekanawidah, known as the Great Peacemaker, and his spokesman Hiawatha. 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 the English colonist Benjamin Franklin to print Canassatego's speech. Franklin also studied their systems of governance and is said to have been impressed by the Great Law of Peace, which influenced his Albany Plan of Union.
The Iroquois Confederacy has been recognized as a source of influence for the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed Concurrent Resolution 331, acknowledging the impact of the Iroquois Constitution on American political and democratic principles. The federal structure of the U.S. Constitution, as well as notions of individual liberty and the separation of powers, are believed to have been influenced by the Iroquois Confederation.
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The Iroquois Constitution was conceived by the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, is the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. It is a set of laws divided into 117 articles, represented by symbols on wampum belts, which served as mnemonic devices for storytellers. The Iroquois Constitution is believed to have been conceived by the Great Peacemaker, or Dekanawidah, and his spokesman Hiawatha.
The Iroquois Confederacy dates back several centuries, to when the Great Peacemaker founded it by uniting five nations: the Mohawks, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Oneida, and the Seneca. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, also known as the Six Nations or Haudenosaunee. Each nation or tribe played a delineated role in the conduct of the government, which was federal in nature.
The Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha's constitution ensured that each tribe handled its own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance. The laws were first recorded and transmitted using wampum shell-bead belts that encoded the message in a sequence of pictograms. In the 19th century, they were translated into English and other languages.
The Iroquois Constitution has been recognized as a significant influence on the US Constitution. The Founding Fathers were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs and sought to borrow aspects of their government that enabled them to assert the sovereignty of the people. The Iroquois Confederacy's structure, which maintained individual governance while forming a multi-state government, provided a real-life example of the political concepts the framers of the US Constitution wanted to adopt.
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Frequently asked questions
The Iroquois Constitution, also known as the Great Law of Peace, was written sometime in the late 12th century, around 1190.
The Iroquois Constitution was the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy, a union of five nations: the Mohawks, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, the Oneidas, and the Senecas. In 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois.
The Iroquois Constitution is thought to have influenced the US Constitution. The framers of the US Constitution were impressed by the federalist principles of the Iroquois Confederacy, which allowed for a multi-state government while maintaining individual governance and freedoms.
Benjamin Franklin studied Native systems of governance and negotiated and printed treaties with the Iroquois Confederacy. In 1751, he wrote a letter describing the need for the 13 colonies to form a "voluntary union" similar to that of the Iroquois Confederacy. In 1754, he attended the Albany Congress with leaders of the Iroquois Confederacy and was impressed by the Great Law of Peace, going on to write the Albany Plan of Union.
