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“Much evidence leads us to believe that the U.S. Constitution… was indeed influenced by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.”

— “How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped U.S. Democracy”, p. 1

The belief that American democracy was built solely on European Enlightenment thought is incomplete. This quote reveals that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s political system influenced key American founders. Their model of unity, balance of power, and collective decision-making helped shape our Constitution. Recognizing this roots American governance not just in European traditions, but also Indigenous wisdom. It challenges the myth that democracy was imported and instead shows it was already present here. This inclusion adds historical accuracy and justice by recognizing Native contributions, long erased in traditional U.S. narratives. Indigenous systems deserve credit for shaping American political structures.

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“The Iroquois Confederacy… is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth.”

— “How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped U.S. Democracy”, p. 2

This quote undermines the myth that the United States created the world’s first or greatest democracy. The Iroquois had practiced democratic governance for centuries before Europeans arrived. Their council system, based on consensus and respect, predates the U.S. Constitution. This history disrupts ideas of American exceptionalism and shifts focus to the political sophistication of Indigenous nations. The fact that the U.S. Senate recognized this influence in 1988 confirms the importance of this legacy. Including Indigenous contributions provides a more complete and honest view of democracy’s development in North America, not as invention, but as adaptation from existing models.

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“Following the Albany Congress Franklin drew up a plan… very similar to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.”

— “How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped U.S. Democracy”, p. 6

We often assume the Founding Fathers invented the structure of American government. This quote shows Franklin borrowed from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s model. Their ideas of unity and shared power influenced Franklin’s Plan of Union. Even symbolic elements, like the arrows on the Great Seal, reflect Indigenous influence. This debunks the myth that the founders built the U.S. alone. Instead, it highlights a cross-cultural exchange that shaped the nation’s foundation. Giving credit to the Haudenosaunee helps undo the erasure of Native contributions and repositions them as essential to American political development—not as outsiders, but as teachers and innovators.

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“Encounter—rather than discovery—must structure America’s origins story.”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 3

This quote pushes back against the myth that Europeans “discovered” an empty continent. Blackhawk reframes the founding as an encounter between Indigenous peoples and settlers. Framing colonization as “discovery” erases Native presence and makes colonial conquest seem inevitable or heroic. Indigenous nations had thriving societies long before 1492. Replacing “discovery” with “encounter” changes the narrative—making it more accurate and more just. It shows that Native peoples were subjects of history, not objects. This challenges Eurocentric storytelling and centers Indigenous agency in the story of America’s beginnings. It’s not about discovery; it’s about relationships, disruption, and survival.

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“Native peoples were not granted U.S. citizenship until 1924…”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 2

The founding myth that America was built on equality and rights for all is false. Blackhawk highlights that Native Americans didn’t gain citizenship until 1924. This means for almost 150 years, they were excluded from the promises of life, liberty, and happiness. The U.S. was built on land taken from people who were then denied political inclusion. This contradiction is central—not marginal—to U.S. history. Recognizing this exposes the myth of founding equality. It also shows how democracy was selective, built on the exclusion of others. Citizenship for Native peoples was delayed, restricted, and tied to assimilation policies.

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“Tens of thousands of Native peoples were killed by settler militias and U.S. armed forces during the Civil War era.”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 2

The “peaceful frontier” is a myth that hides violent realities. Blackhawk reveals that thousands of Native people were killed during U.S. westward expansion. These acts weren’t isolated incidents—they were part of federal policy and military campaigns. The myth of brave pioneers ignores the destruction of Native communities. The land settlers “claimed” was already occupied, and taken through force. This violence shaped the growth of the U.S., yet it’s often left out of textbooks. Recognizing this violence is key to understanding how the nation expanded—not through peace and progress, but through colonization, war, and systemic displacement of Indigenous peoples.

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“Identifying American history as a site of genocide complicates a fundamental premise of the American story.”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 5

Blackhawk directly challenges the myth that the U.S. has a purely moral or innocent past. Labeling the treatment of Native peoples as genocide forces a reevaluation of the American story. Genocide wasn’t a historical accident—it was foundational to building the country. Many Americans resist this framing because it clashes with patriotic ideals. But reckoning with this truth is necessary. It acknowledges the full cost of colonization and the continued struggles of Native nations. The myth of innocence allows the U.S. to avoid accountability. Blackhawk calls for a deeper, more honest version of history—one that includes pain and responsibility.

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“American democracy arose from the dispossession of American Indians.”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 2

The U.S. is often called a “nation of immigrants,” but Blackhawk reminds us it’s also a nation of dispossession. The land immigrants settled was taken from Indigenous nations. The democracy they helped build excluded Native peoples. This quote exposes how the American origin story erases Indigenous suffering. The land of opportunity was made possible by conquest. That truth complicates the patriotic myth of a welcoming nation. By centering dispossession, we acknowledge that American freedom for some was built on oppression of others. Democracy in the U.S. was never neutral—it had roots in inequality, removal, and territorial expansion.

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“North America’s total population nearly halved from 1492 to 1776: from approximately 7 or 8 million to 4 million.”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 4

We often think of American history as a story of progress, but this statistic challenges that view. The population decline shows that European arrival caused devastation. Disease and colonization killed millions of Indigenous people. This isn’t progress—it’s catastrophe. Framing colonization as advancement hides the suffering it caused. Blackhawk uses this data to question optimistic founding myths. True progress can’t be built on death and destruction. Recognizing these losses helps us understand what was sacrificed to build the modern U.S. It also honors the resilience of the Native communities who survived and continue to thrive despite the trauma.

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“Native Americans have now emerged from the shadows of historical neglect in their full complexity…”

— Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 7

Many still believe Indigenous peoples vanished after colonization. Blackhawk fights this myth by showing how Native communities remain active and powerful. Tribal governments run economies, schools, and museums. Sovereignty isn’t a thing of the past—it’s alive and central to modern American life. This quote calls for recognition of Indigenous presence in today’s politics, culture, and society. It’s not about inclusion—it’s about survival and leadership. Native nations never disappeared—they were pushed out of the narrative. Blackhawk’s work restores their rightful place in the American story: not as relics of the past, but as vital actors in the present.

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1 Myth of Democracy’s Origins Shows that American democracy didn’t originate solely from European ideals — it was influenced by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

2 Myth of American Exceptionalism Challenges the idea that the U.S. uniquely created democracy, showing it existed in Indigenous governance first.

3 Myth of the Founding Fathers as Original Thinkers Undermines the belief that U.S. political structure came from the Founders alone by showing Franklin adapted the Iroquois model.

4 Myth of Discovery Reframes America’s origin as an encounter, not a discovery, pushing back against narratives that erase Indigenous presence.

5 Myth of Equality Highlights how Native peoples were excluded from U.S. citizenship until 1924, contradicting the claim that the nation was founded on equality.

6 Myth of a Peaceful Frontier Exposes the violence used to expand the U.S., challenging stories of peaceful settler progress.

7 Myth of American Innocence Labels the treatment of Native peoples as genocide, revealing the U.S. origin story as one involving harm and injustice.

8 Myth of the Nation of Immigrants Complicates the idea that America is just a land of opportunity, showing it was built on dispossession of Native land.

9 Myth of Progress Counters the idea of historical advancement by showing the massive loss of Indigenous life during colonization.

10 Myth of Indigenous Disappearance Breaks the idea that Native people are “gone” and instead emphasizes their continued presence and power today.