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Iroquois and the US Constitution

PopeTom

Critical Thinker
PopeTom
Joined
Jan 17, 2004
Messages
388
A friend has recently brought up the Iroquois influence on the US constitution and a quick bit of Googling seems to suggest that there isn't much agreement on the subject.

So I was wondering if anyone out there in JREFland has any information on this or interesting links they think are worth reading on the subject.

-PT
 
PopeTom said:
A friend has recently brought up the Iroquois influence on the US constitution and a quick bit of Googling seems to suggest that there isn't much agreement on the subject.

So I was wondering if anyone out there in JREFland has any information on this or interesting links they think are worth reading on the subject.

-PT
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I'd suggest it would be better to trace the roots back to English Civil War and English constitutional norms, that is the cultural background of the people who came up with it.

If coincidentally two different societal groups, the Iroquois and the European settlers, came up with similar assumptions for the social contract, I'd not try to pin a cause and effect relationship on it. That coincident development might, however, argue for a stronger applicibality to any society that a constitutional governmental form is workable across broad cultural boundaries. That's a good thing, IMO. :)

(Someone call up the King of Saudi Arabia and let him know.)

DR
 
From what I've read, there were various influences taken from the League of Five Nations. It's mentioned brielfy in "The Earth Shall Weep", a great (and detailed) book on Native American history, but I can't remember exactly what it says about that topic off hand. I'll go look it up later tonight.
 
Wheezebucket said:
From what I've read, there were various influences taken from the League of Five Nations. It's mentioned brielfy in "The Earth Shall Weep", a great (and detailed) book on Native American history, but I can't remember exactly what it says about that topic off hand. I'll go look it up later tonight.
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Sounds like a book to put on my "to read" list. Still in print?

DR
 
There are a few pages on this subject in a 'bestseller' book called 'lies my teacher told me' by James Loewen.
 
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