Origins
The Iroquois Confederacy, known to its members as the Haudenosaunee (“People of the Longhouse”), emerged around 1450 CE to end devastating warfare among five Iroquoian-speaking nations in what is now upstate New York. According to oral tradition, the prophet Deganawida (the Great Peacemaker) and his spokesperson Hiawatha traveled among the warring nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca—preaching a message of peace, unity, and democratic governance. The Tuscarora joined as the sixth nation in 1722 after migrating from the Carolinas.
The founding narrative describes how the Peacemaker, unable to speak effectively due to a speech impediment, partnered with Hiawatha, a Mohawk (or Onondaga) leader grieving the deaths of his family. Together they persuaded the five nations to bury their weapons beneath a great white pine, the Tree of Peace, and establish the Great Law of Peace (Gayanashagowa). Jigonhsasee, the “Mother of Nations,” played a crucial role in establishing the clan mother system that gave women central authority in Haudenosaunee governance.
The Confederacy’s origins remain debated among scholars. Some date the founding to the mid-fifteenth century based on oral tradition and archaeological evidence; others argue for dates ranging from 1142 CE to the sixteenth century. Regardless of precise dating, the Confederacy clearly predated European contact and represented one of the most sophisticated political organizations in pre-Columbian North America. The Great Law of Peace, transmitted orally and recorded in wampum belts, governed a territory spanning from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes.
Structure & Function
The Confederacy operated as a federal system, with each nation retaining sovereignty over internal affairs while delegating foreign policy and inter-nation matters to the Grand Council. The council, meeting at Onondaga (the central fire), comprised fifty sachems (chiefs) selected by clan mothers from specific lineages. Each nation had a designated number of sachems, though voting was by nation rather than individual, preserving equality among nations of different sizes.
Decision-making required unanimous consensus—a demanding standard that necessitated extensive deliberation. Proposals moved sequentially through the nations, beginning with the Mohawk (Keepers of the Eastern Door), passing to the Oneida and Cayuga as “Younger Brothers,” then to the Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door), with the Onondaga (Keepers of the Fire) confirming or denying consensus. This elaborate process ensured broad agreement and prevented any faction from imposing its will on others.
Haudenosaunee society was matrilineal: clan membership, property, and political authority descended through women. Clan mothers selected sachems from among eligible men and could depose those who violated their responsibilities. Women controlled agricultural production, the primary economic activity, and could influence foreign policy through their control of food supplies for war parties. This gender complementarity—different but interconnected roles for men and women—structured all aspects of Haudenosaunee life.
Historical Significance
The Confederacy achieved remarkable political success. By uniting previously warring nations, it created a formidable power that dominated northeastern North America for centuries. Haudenosaunee diplomatic and military skill allowed them to play French and British colonizers against each other, extracting trade advantages and territorial guarantees. The Beaver Wars (1640s-1701) saw Confederacy warriors defeat and disperse numerous rival nations, extending Haudenosaunee influence from the Atlantic to the Mississippi.
Scholars have debated the Confederacy’s influence on American constitutional thought. In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution acknowledging Iroquois contributions to the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin and other founders knew the Confederacy well; Franklin’s 1754 Albany Plan of Union explicitly invoked Iroquois precedent. Features like federalism, separation of powers, and limits on executive authority had Haudenosaunee parallels. However, the extent of direct influence remains contested, as similar ideas emerged from European political theory.
The American Revolution shattered the Confederacy. Different nations chose different sides—most supported Britain; the Oneida and Tuscarora sided with the Americans—violating the Great Law’s requirement for unanimous action. American forces devastated Haudenosaunee territory in the 1779 Sullivan-Clinton Campaign. The 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix and subsequent agreements dispossessed most Haudenosaunee lands. Yet the Confederacy continues today, maintaining traditional governance and asserting sovereignty. The Great Law remains a living constitution for the Haudenosaunee people.
Key Developments
- c. 1142 or 1450: Traditional dates for Confederacy founding
- c. 1450: Five Nations unite under the Great Law of Peace
- 1534: Jacques Cartier encounters Iroquoian peoples
- 1609: Samuel de Champlain allies with enemies, beginning French-Iroquois conflict
- 1613: Two Row Wampum Treaty with Dutch (according to oral tradition)
- 1640s-1701: Beaver Wars; Confederacy dominates Great Lakes region
- 1677: Covenant Chain alliance with English established
- 1701: Great Peace of Montreal ends Beaver Wars
- 1722: Tuscarora join as Sixth Nation
- 1744: Canassatego advises colonists to unite at Lancaster Treaty
- 1754: Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union invokes Iroquois precedent
- 1768: Treaty of Fort Stanwix establishes boundary line
- 1775-1783: American Revolution splits Confederacy
- 1779: Sullivan-Clinton Campaign devastates Haudenosaunee territory
- 1784: Treaty of Fort Stanwix; massive land cessions
- 1794: Treaty of Canandaigua with United States
- 1799: Handsome Lake’s religious revival begins
- 1988: U.S. Congress acknowledges Iroquois influence on Constitution
- Present: Confederacy continues with traditional governance