General Information

What is in the present-day area?
The Present-Day area is around New York city and into Canada, so a lot has changed from the time of the Iroquois to now.

What were the achievements of the Iroquois?
One of the major achievements was being the first Democracy. We got our ideas of Democracy from the Iroquois. Without their ideas, we might not have our democracy today.

What other culture/region/people effected Iroquois history?
Europeans and Americans had effect on the Iroquois culture and history. Both of these cultures got the Iroquois into wars.

What was their culture like?
The Iroquois were the most important native group in North American history. All had matrillineal social structures- the women owned all property and determined kinship. The individual Iroquois tribes were divided into three clans- turtle, bear and wolf, each headed by a clan mother. After marriage, a man moved into his wife's longhouse and their children lived with them.

Where did they get their knowledge from?
The Iroquois figured out most things for themselves. They thought of the first Democracy without influence from anyone. Other than that, they may have gotten some ideals and practices from Americans or Europeans.

What would have happened if the Iroquois tribe lasted longer under their power?
There are still Iroquois reservations today, if they hadn't been pulled into the American Revolution, I think they would have been even more powerful. But sooner or later, the colonies would want the land and they would probably fight for it.

How long did the Iroquois occupy their land?
As early as 10,000 BC to 800 AD is the 1,700's. This is based on dating from Iroquois longhouses wood. Iroquois still exist today, but they don't occupy the same land.

When was the peak of their Civilization?
I would say the peak was around the time of the League of Nations or when they were discovered by other groups.