Article on Indian influence on US Constitution

The Iroquois Confederacy, a group of Native American nations formed several centuries ago, served as a real-world example of a complex political structure, providing inspiration for the framers of the U.S. Constitution.

John Adams, a key figure in the American Revolution and a founder of the United States, compiled a comprehensive handbook for the Constitutional Convention, examining various forms of government and political ideas.

The U.S. delegates to the Constitutional Convention drew inspiration from Native American governments, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy, which showcased a model of multi-nation governance.

The Iroquois Confederacy was a governmental structure where six distinct nations joined to form a single, unified government while retaining their individual governance.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution sought inspiration from diverse sources, including European philosophers like John Locke and Montesquieu, but also from real-life examples of Native American political structures.

The Iroquois Confederacy, comprising nations like the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora, provided a tangible example of a federal system where power was shared between a central government and individual nations.

The Iroquois Confederacy, while not a direct model for the U.S. Constitution, offered a real-world demonstration of political principles that the framers were interested in applying to the newly formed United States.

The U.S. government had established trade and diplomatic relationships with Native American nations, highlighting a level of understanding and familiarity that suggests the framers were likely aware of Native American governmental structures.

The Iroquois Confederacy, a union of six Native American nations, influenced the U.S. Constitution's structure and principles. It served as a model for a federal system, where power is shared between a central government and individual states.

The Founders of the United States admired the Iroquois' system of governance, particularly its ability to unite different nations under a single framework. This influenced their ideas about federalism, where power is divided between a national government and individual states.

Despite acknowledging the Iroquois Confederacy's strengths, the Founding Fathers held prejudiced views about Native Americans, seeing them as inferior. This internal contradiction is shown in Benjamin Franklin's writings where he praises their union while still using derogatory language.

In the 1751 letter by Benjamin Franklin, he compares the Iroquois Confederacy to a potential union of the 13 colonies, highlighting both the need and potential for such a union. This demonstrates the influence and admiration. However, Franklin's use of the term 'savages' reveals a deeper underlying prejudice.

The Great Law of Peace, a foundational document of the Iroquois Confederacy, emphasizes peace and unity among the nations. This concept is symbolically depicted by the act of literally burying the hatchet, signifying a commitment to resolve disputes peacefully.

The US government's historical mistreatment of Native Americans, including violence and prejudice, often overshadowed the fact that the Founders were inspired by Native governance. This connection was not widely known until recently.

Oren Lyons, a Faithkeeper for the Iroquois Confederacy, brought the influence of Native governance on the US Constitution to the attention of Congress in 1987. This sparked a formal acknowledgment of the Iroquois Confederacy's influence.

The 1988 Congressional resolution acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution also recognized the ongoing government-to-government relationship between the US and Native nations. This affirmed the sovereignty and legitimacy of Native tribes.

Federalism is a system where power is shared between a central government and individual states. This concept was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy's model of governance, which involved union of different nations under a shared framework.