This is shared from a website called Uncharted Lancaster. I learned something from it. When you reach the end, get out a $1 bill and look at it.
From Lancaster to the Constitution: How a 1744 Native American Speech Shaped a Nation
In the sweltering summer of 1744, the streets of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were alive with unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. Hundreds of Native Americans from the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy had traveled by foot and canoe to this bustling colonial town to participate in what would become one of the most significant diplomatic gatherings in early American history. Known today as the Treaty of Lancaster (1744), the two-week conference not only reshaped colonial land claims but planted the seeds of American democracy through the powerful words of an Iroquois leader: Canassatego.
Setting the Stage
At the time, the Iroquois Confederacy was a formidable political and military force, stretching across what is now New York and parts of Pennsylvania. With tensions rising between British colonies and French forces in the Ohio Valley, the colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia saw an opportunity: secure Iroquois neutrality—or better yet, alliance—while also acquiring Native land.
The setting for the negotiations was Lancaster’s original courthouse, located in the heart of town where today the Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands in Penn Square. From June 22 to July 4, colonial commissioners and Iroquois leaders gathered daily inside the courthouse to talk, debate, and drink—a lot. Conrad Weiser, Pennsylvania’s trusted interpreter, served as the go-between, translating long speeches delivered in rich metaphor and oral tradition. Each speech concluded with the dramatic presentation of wampum belts, thunderous applause, and hearty cries of “Yo-hah!” from the Iroquois.
Negotiations between colonist leaders and the Six Nations
Outside the courthouse, Lancaster was transformed. Hundreds of wigwams sprang up on the edge of town, their fires sending up steady plumes of smoke scented with bear grease and venison stew. Native families mingled with the 1,500 residents of Lancaster, shopping in the market, inspecting colonial goods, and prompting mutual curiosity. Townspeople hung out of windows to catch a glimpse of the painted delegates. Many were shocked to see the visitors eating with their hands.
The Goals of the Treaty
Colonial leaders had two key objectives: first, to extinguish Iroquois land claims in Maryland and Virginia to clear the way for westward expansion; and second, to ensure the Iroquois would remain neutral, or even supportive, in the looming conflict with France. In return, the Iroquois received gunpowder, blankets, metal tools, trade goods, and a generous supply of rum. By the end of the conference, land claims were signed away, alliances were confirmed, and symbolic gifts were exchanged: a scarlet coat for Chief Canassatego from the Virginians and a bold-laced hat for Chief Gachadow from the Maryland delegation.
But the most enduring gift of the Treaty of Lancaster came not in the form of rum or rifles. It came in the form of a speech.
Canassatego: The Smartest Man in the Room
The clear voice of reason during the negotiations belonged to Canassatego, an Onondaga chief and a leading spokesman for the Iroquois Confederacy. Described as tall and powerfully built, with a full chest, brawny arms, a good-natured smile, and an electrifying presence, Canassatego commanded attention every time he spoke.
Canassatego speaks to the assembly.
Born in the late 1600s or early 1700s, Canassatego rose to prominence as a diplomat during a turbulent period in the relations between the Iroquois and the colonists. By 1744, he had already participated in several key negotiations and had proven himself a savvy leader who understood both Native and European politics. Though he could not read or write, his command of logic, metaphor, and oratory made him one of the most influential Indigenous leaders of the 18th century. His final speech at the Treaty of Lancaster would become legendary.
A Bundle of Arrows and a Lesson in Unity
On the final day of the conference, Canassatego rose before a packed room of colonial officials and Native delegates. In his booming voice, he urged the colonies to consider the Iroquois model of government: a confederacy bound together by shared purpose, mutual respect, and coordinated action.
“We heartily recommend union and a good agreement between you, our brethren,” he said. “Never disagree, but preserve a strict friendship for one another and thereby, you, as well as we, will become the stronger.”
Then, in a striking moment of symbolism, he reached into his quiver. He pulled out a single arrow and broke it easily across his knee. Then he pulled out six arrows—one for each of the Iroquois nations—and bound them together. This time, no matter how hard he tried, he could not break them. The message was clear: united, the colonies would be unbreakable.
Canassatego holding six arrows representing the Six Nations.
Canassatego concluded with the wisdom of his ancestors: “Our wise forefathers established union and amity between the Five Nations. This has made us formidable. This has given us great weight and authority with our neighboring nations. We are a powerful confederacy, and by your observing the same methods… you will acquire fresh strength and power.”
Franklin, the Founders, and the Constitution
Canassatego’s words did not disappear into the summer air. They were recorded, published, and widely circulated in colonial newspapers, most notably by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, who had long admired the Iroquois League’s political system, was deeply inspired by the speech. Ten years later, at the Albany Congress in 1754, he would reference Canassatego’s advice in his push for colonial unity.
Some historians now recognize Canassatego’s speech as a foundational moment in American political thought. His call for unity influenced not only Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union but also—decades later—the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution itself.
Though Canassatego was assassinated in 1750 by pro-French Native factions, his vision outlived him. Today, his speech is considered one of the earliest Indigenous contributions to the philosophy of American governance.
A Legacy in the Great Seal
The influence of Canassatego and the Iroquois model of confederacy is not just a historical footnote—it’s woven into the very fabric of American symbolism. On the back of every one-dollar bill, in the left talon of the eagle, you’ll find a bundle of 13 arrows. It’s a direct echo of Canassatego’s bundle of six: strength through unity.
This iconography, part of the Great Seal of the United States, was designed to represent the 13 original colonies standing together. It is a powerful visual legacy of the advice delivered in a Lancaster courthouse nearly 300 years ago.
Canassatego and the Great Seal of the United States.
Epilogue: Two Weeks That Changed a Nation
When the Treaty of Lancaster finally concluded, the Native families packed up their wigwams, loaded their horses and dogs, and departed the town. The smell of bear grease slowly faded. But something profound had taken root in the minds of the colonists, especially in men like Franklin.
The treaty may have settled land disputes and secured short-term alliances, but its true significance lies in the philosophical bridge it built between two worlds. Canassatego’s counsel didn’t just help shape a confederacy of Native nations. It helped shape the birth of a new one.
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