Haudenosaunee Confederacy (jan 1, 1400 – jan 1, 1776)

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The Haudenosaunee confederacy is known being the first democracy the Americas. How this confederacy functioned is somewhat complex but prevented many problems and was a genius confederacy that was able to maintain peace. The Haudenosaunee lived in long houses, one clan lived in each (a clan was made of the . Because the Haudenosaunee was a matriarchy, the clan mother was the one who appointed the chiefs and the one who had the power to dismiss them as well; women played an important role in this democracy. This confederacy was made up of five nations: the Mohawk. The council which was created in Onondaga consisted of a total of 50 Sachems (chiefs who participated in the council), one had up to 14 sachems who represented them and the other as little as 8 nonetheless the way decisions where made in the council was designed to have each nation play a significant important role in the final choice which would be made. The council worked much like families did in the clans who lived in the long houses; they all sat around the fire with three senior siblings(oldest, middle and youngest senior siblings) and two junior siblings (oldest and youngest Junior siblings). In essense the process which would occur in the council was designed to ensure that everyone in a nation would come to a consensus. All the nations or the majority would have to agree in order for the idea proposed to be accepted. The most extraordinary thing about this council was that it was designed to prevent the two most powerful nation from causing division in the confederacy and prevented them from ganging up on the three smaller nations. The confederacy's Constitution was the Great Law of Peace which promoted peace and unity and protected rights and freedoms including freedom of speech. This Constitution was passed from generation to generation orally.

This confederacy would serve as an example for future confederacies and democracies. Their political model was even followed by the colonists wishing independence. The constitution even inspired the Constitution Thomas Jefferson presented as some portions of the Haudenosaunee Constitution were identically similar to the Constitution Thomas Jefferson presented. The Haudenosaunee confederacy and it's Constitution promoted liberalism by promoting individual rights and heavily influenced America's Constitution which is still present today.

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