The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Great Law of Peace: A Precursor to the United States Constitution

Benjamin Franklin was an early proponent of unity among the American colonies and an advocate for the Albany Plan of Union. In 1751, the colonies faced crises on the western frontier that led to the French and Indian War. Franklin wrote a letter to a printer, James Parker, extolling the virtues of a governmental structure similar to that of the Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy, referred to at the time as the Iroquois Confederacy. Many scholars believe that Franklin’s promotion of the principles of the Great Law of Peace influenced other founders and framers, which ultimately led to these principles finding their way into the United States Constitution. In this lesson, students will analyze portions of the Great Law of Peace and discuss the Indigenous roots of the United States Constitution.