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TRIBAL STRUCTURES LIKELY INFLUENCED THE US CONSTITUTION | While documents like the Magna Carta and the Constitution’s direct predecessor, the U.S. Articles of Confederation, are cited as the key influences for the U.S. Constitution, early colonizers may have also drawn inspiration from Indigenous government structures. The five nations of the Iroquois Tribe created the Constitution of the Five Nations, also known as the Iroquois Book of Great Law or The Great Binding Law, Gayanashagowa. This early document bore a few similarities to U.S. governmental structure including multiple government branches, a representative council, criminal trials and even succession plans. One key difference? The Five Nations’ society was matrilineal and deferred to the wisdom of “mothers” and relied on “sister” rather than brother families.
As America observes Constitution Day on Sept. 17, few realize how close the Constitution came to failure during its ratification rounds.
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