Iroquois Declaration Of Independence

Utopia

Meeca Gourgue and Christine Resca
Global History - section 05
Ms. Leonard
May 16, 2016
Both the Iroquois and the early American republic attempted to create an utopia society that would maintain the ideas of peace, equality, and independence. For the early American republic (Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) their main ideals consisted of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which they would eventually achieve to a certain extent, although some people would be left out. As for the Iroquois, they placed their confidence in sharing their community and living in accord with their own people until their end.
The Iroquois, or the Haudenosaunee which means "People of the Longhouse." The Iroquois

tribe come from the Great Lakes area.(cite the article) Their worldview was different than other societies of their time. These people all believed that humans are an important part of life, and every life and soul were equal to each other. Nature played also a big role in their everyday life. To them, nature was not to be defied, but respected. Women and their sacrifices were crucial also. The men were to respect the women because the women would produce children and they were leaders. Women were usually the head of the household. Men, on the other hand, were in charge of protecting their utopian society. These men had to be strong and courageous and ready to do anything to aid their community. Freedom was an important role, but they all understood the importance of what is done affects the entire community.
The Iroquois tribe believed in having peace with nature and their God, although, this did not always happen. The confederacy, which means an alliance between people and society (cite dictionary.com), divided the people into six different tribes. These tribes were called Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora. For a period of time in the beginning of their history, the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Cayuga were at war against each other due to disagreements over hunting grounds and fishing, honor, and fur trade. (Cite article). To settle this, a man from the Onondaga tribe, by the name of Hiawatha, spread peace by preaching but this did not go well. He convinced the Mohawk nation to become apart of the Iroquois confederacy. The other nations followed after. Soon, all the nations had equal power. (Cite article).
The Declaration of Independence was written to clarify the actions of The Second Continental Congress and creating an official government.

It was a combination of principal with purpose. The Declaration had three key components: theory of government, complaints and a declaration of war. Thomas Jefferson completed the draft while adding ideas from The Enlightenment. Although The Declaration was only theory and would not be made a reality yet because they would have to fight against the British. They did not want to be ruled like the king. They wanted to create a new society based on the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson added ideas of how all men were created equal and they were born with the same unchallengeable rights that were granted from God. He also included “Consent of the governed” which was that men are not established among government but governments are established among the men. Lastly, he incorporated that if the government fails the people have the right to alter the government or just abolish it

completely.
The Constitution was formed to establish America’s national government and laws. It would consist of three branches so that there was a balance of power. The branches were executive, legislative and judicial along with the system of checks and balances so that no single branch could have too much power. Then the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791 which had the ten ammendments with the freedoms. It was signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention and George Washington oversaw it. For the Constitution not everyone believed in the same thing and not everyone liked the new rules of the Articles of Confederation because the national government was weak.
The worldview of the citizens would be similar to the Iroquois' beliefs.

Their lives would revolve around having peace with each other at all times. These peoples would not live in long house like the Iroquois, but similar to this. Instead of long houses, they would be living in large houses, built by themselves. These people should have the knowledge to build a house. Everyone in this community will live in these houses. Also, each person in the community should be able to grow their own food and supplies, but still be able to share through trade, instead of currency.
The citizens would be assigned their own duties to do everyday. For example, in each family, the women would be the ones to give each person their job for the day. Children would go to school and get an education. On the days they did not have school, they would either hunt for food or help with the crops and farming. For the men, they would go out and hunt for food to support their families. Everyone was to do their job and be

organized.
Laws would be an important aspect of their lives. The three main laws would be, do not kill, always share your resources, and show love and respect to your people. Any murder of another human would cause a disruption of peace in the land and would go against their beliefs. As for the law of sharing resources, it is important to do so because if this does not happen, disputes would occur. Lastly, showing love and respect to your people brings everyone together and closer, and brings a sense of happiness and peace. These people would make a pledge every morning in their homes to follow all the laws of their land.
In this society it is expected that everyone works for the majority of their life to be able to earn a living. People in the community could benefit from the mixed economic system. Being located in a warm and suitable region where it is easy to grow and produce many kinds of fruits and vegetables helps the agriculture. This place is not strongly controlled by the government but there still are boundaries and variations. Although a negative may be a downfall in the economy.
Education is the foundation to a person's life, without it they are knowledgeable to make right choices and know what is good or not. Being taught not only at school but at home as well is important to one’s learning career. Along with the religious beliefs there parents have enforced since they were born. In this society every expression of life is part of an order known as the Great Mystery. All humans are sacred beings because each is an expression of the will of God. Life is equal and spiritual so every part of nature must be treated with respect. Earth is mother of all and all aspects of nature are seen as equal and all have great importance and posses the same rights.
The Iroquois and the early American Republic pursued their very own ideas of creating an ideal society that focuses on equal opportunity, liberty, and unity. The Iroquois, for the most part, were successful in trying to create this lifestyle until the end of their time. The early American Republic would be perfect for many but as for the women, african americans and native Americans.