Summarizes William Sidis'"Tribes and States," a 50-year-old unpublished manuscript that retells colonial American history from an American Indian viewpoint and traces the contributions of American Indians, particularly the Penacook Federation and the Iroquois Confederacy, to American democracy and constitutional rights. (SV)

Reviews Iroquois influences on historical processes leading to the U.S. Constitution and on its philosophical intent and content. Argues that the Founding Fathers drew parallels between native confederacies and ancestral European tribes, and eventually rejected confederated government because the more unified Romans conquered the tribes. Contains…

Presents evidence to support the opinion that the Iroquois and other Native American confederacies influenced the evolution of American government and the U.S. Constitution. Cites experiences and writings of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Madison, and John Adams. Responds to specific scholarly criticisms. Contains approximately 64 references.…