The Iroquois League, also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy or Six Nations, was a highly developed Native American political organization built upon the unwritten Great Law of Peace, Gayanashagowa, which served as its foundation for justice and unity. This government utilized a sophisticated system of participatory democracy with elements of federalism, balancing the power of the Grand Council of Chiefs with the significant authority of clan mothers, who held the power to nominate or depose leaders. Decisions were achieved through a deliberate process of consensus, ensuring that all member nations—originally five, later six—retained local autonomy while functioning as a cohesive union. Furthermore, the source details how this successful confederacy, particularly its principles of federalism and checks and balances, provided an acknowledged and admired example that influenced the thinking of American colonists and Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin in developing the unique governmental framework of the United States.
Iroquois and The Constitution.mp4
When we think about the origins of American democracy, our minds usually drift across the Atlantic to ancient Greece and Rome or Enlightenment-era Europe. But what if some of the most powerful ideas that shaped the United States came from a source much closer to home?
Long before European ships reached North America, the Iroquois League—also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—was a powerful and sophisticated political and social organization. For centuries, this confederacy of five nations—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca—maintained peace through a complex system of governance. After they were joined by the Tuscarora in the early 18th century, they became the Six Nations. Here, we uncover four foundational ideas borrowed—or observed—from the Haudenosaunee that challenge the conventional origin story of American democracy.
Long before the U.S. Constitution divided power between the federal government and the states, the Iroquois League operated on a similar principle. The League united six independent nations under a central Grand Council, which handled matters of war, diplomacy, and inter-nation affairs. Crucially, each member nation preserved its autonomy over its own internal matters.
This model of a "union of separate states" was a living, breathing example that American colonists could observe. As the colonies struggled to unite, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy demonstrated that distinct groups could come together for the common good while maintaining their individual sovereignty. This influence became tangible in 1754 when Benjamin Franklin, who admired the League’s structure, presented his Albany Plan of Union—a proposal for a unified colonial government that reflected the Iroquois federal model. This indigenous political innovation wasn’t just an interesting parallel; it was a functioning blueprint on American soil that predated and informed the U.S. Constitution.
In the Iroquois system, the 50 chiefs (sachems) who sat on the Grand Council were all men. However, their power was not absolute; in fact, it was granted and could be revoked by women. These positions were hereditary within certain matrilineal clans, and it was the Clan Mothers who held the authority to choose which man would fill the role.
This structure served as a core part of the government's checks and balances. Clan Mothers not only nominated chiefs but continuously oversaw their actions.