{\b The Iroquois Constitution}.

{\b General Comment}.

The Iroqouis league or constitution, a confederacy first of five and then six 
Indian nations, was formed between 1570 and 1600 by Dekanawidah, an Indian 
born of Huron stock. The league was originally constituted by the Mohawk, 
Oneida, Onodaga, Cayuga and Seneca groups, calling themselves the 'people of 
the long house'. In 1722 these were joined by the Tuscaron and the league 
became known as the Six Nations.

Around 1600, the league, engaged in conflict with the Dutch-supplied Huron and 
Mahian, remained concentrated in upper and central New York State, but from 
around 1628 onwards expanded by way of a number of wars. From 1648 to 1656, 
the league attacked, and disposed of, the Huron, Tiononati, Erie and Neutral 
tribes and, by the 1750's, had also subdued the Andaste and most of the 
Piedmont tribes.

Attacks against the French, allies of many of the league's Indian enemies, 
were devastating throughout the 1650's and into the first half of the 1660's. 
Temporarily checked by French counter-offensives first in 1666 and then again 
in 1687, the league fought back in a major offensive in 1689.

They were finally routed by the French forces in the early 1690's, but 
continued to exercise a major strategic importance throughout the eighteenth 
century, remaining bitter enemies of the French and independent in large part 
from the British also.

At the time of the American Revolution the league was split: two of the tribes 
fought for the Americans, the remainder for the British. Consequently the 
league came to an effective end in 1784 with the signing of the Second Treaty 
of Fort Stanwix, but the constituent nations made a treaty, pledging mutual 
non-interference, with the United States ten years later in 1794. Three of the 
nations remained in New York State, the remainder were dispersed: the Mohawk 
and Cayuga went to Canada, the Oneida to Wisconsin.