09/19/2026
The Iroquois Legacy shows a powerful part of U.S. history that often gets overlooked. Long before the U.S. Constitution, the Iroquois Confederacy created a system of government based on shared decision-making that may have influenced American founders like Benjamin Franklin.
It also tells a harder truth: as Europeans settled, the Iroquois faced conflict, loss of land, and were forced to leave their homes—many eventually resettling in Canada, where their descendants still live today.
Classroom idea: Use this clip to spark discussion about where ideas of democracy come from—and whose stories are included in history.
Explore the complex relationship between Native Americans and European settlers. Long before the U.S. Constitution, the Iroquois created their own constitution.