logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
31m 59s

Iroquois Confederacy

History Hit
About this episode

At its height the Iroquois Confederacy (or Haudenosaunee) - a union of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations - controlled lands from Quebec to Ohio.


Its origin story goes back to the legend of the warrior Hiawatha and the Peacemaker. In the end its system of governance may have been an inspiration for the founding fathers.


Joining Don to explore the history of the Haudenosaunee is Jen Birch, archaeologist at the University of Georgia.


Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long


If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 15
The Boston Courthouse Bombing
On April 22, 1976 a bomb went off at Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston. 22 people were injured in the blast, but no one was ever tried for the crime.Kevin Galvin joins Don today to explore who bombed the courthouse, why they did it, and who was caught up in it.Kevin has been a ... Show More
32m 39s
Oct 12
Life Down a California Goldmine
In 1848, James Marshall's discovery of gold in California's American River kicked off one of the biggest Gold Rushes in U.S. history. But what was life really like in California's Gold Fields? Who was actually making money? And how did gold fever shape a nation?Our guest today is ... Show More
54m 43s
Oct 8
Fur Trapping, Empire & the Hudson’s Bay Company
Did you know that almost 40% of the land that is now Canada was once owned by a single commercial company?The Hudson's Bay Company surrendered this area for the sum of £300,000 in 1869. But how did they come to control it? What was life like for fur traders in North America? And ... Show More
43m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
Did the Native American Great Law of Peace Inspire the U.S. Constitution?
The writers of the U.S. Constitution were, in part, influenced by the confederation of Native American nations called the Haudenosaunee (or the Iroquois). Learn about the Haudenosaunee Great Law in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart ... Show More
5m 48s
Jun 2024
160. Native Nations vs Thomas Jefferson
North America was never virgin territory. For thousands of years it has been home to established nations of Indigenous people who founded ancient cities like Cahokia. When European settlers arrived on the eastern seaboard, Native Americans never saw them as a threat. But as the U ... Show More
46m 28s
Jul 2024
#172 Sitting Bull
📖 Episode Transcripts in Link Below ⬇️ Today, we will be exploring the life of Sitting Bull, a prominent leader and warrior of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux who played a significant role in Native American history. https://patreon.com/HistoryinSlowGerman?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&ut ... Show More
5 m
Nov 2021
Native Americans and the Constitution
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, join experts Maggie Blackhawk of New York University School of Law; Donald Grinde, Jr. of the University at Buffalo and co-author of Exemplar of Liberty: Native America and the Evolution of Democracy; Gregory Dowd of the Universit ... Show More
52m 11s
Sep 2016
Why the Leaves Change Color - A Traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Native American) Story
This week we bring you the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Native American) story on why the leaves change color in the autumn. This beautiful story has been passed down through the oral tradition and we've interviewed multiple Haudenosaunee storytellers to bring you the same version mem ... Show More
15m 36s
Feb 2024
Tecumseh's Curse, Part One: Rise of The Prophet
Did the legendary Shawnee chief Tecumseh really lay a curse on US Presidents? In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive deep into Tecumseh's origin, his mission to unite Native peoples against the ruthless expansion of the new United States -- all ... Show More
47m 31s
Jun 2025
Vol 4 Ep 91 - Pre-Columbian Mound Builders of North America
3500 BCE - 1600 CE - Uncover the ancient earthworks of North America’s Pre-Columbian Mound Builders—exploring ritual, trade, astronomy, and society from the Adena to the Mississippians, in this immersive historical journey. 
1 h
Nov 2022
Two Shawnee Brothers Hold Their Ground
November 7, 1811. William Henry Harrison and his troops are camped near the Wabash river. They’ve been told to keep the peace—but Harrison wants land, and he’s come here to try and take it. Less than a mile away is a flourishing Native American settlement called Prophetstown. It’ ... Show More
39m 38s
Dec 2024
Druids
<p>Aligning with the winter solstice of 2024, Tristan Hughes and Professor Ronald Hutton delve into the ancient Druids of Britain and France.</p><p>They discuss how Julius Caesar encountered this feared enemy in his Roman conquest of Gaul, and Cicero had meetings with a Druid lea ... Show More
45m 7s
May 2020
Pocahontas
Join Greg Jenner for a homeschool history lesson on Pocahontas, a Native American woman and daughter of prominent leader Wahunsenacawh, who was captured by British colonists in the 17th century and brought to England. You’ve seen Disney’s Pocahontas, but how much of it is true? T ... Show More
15m 24s