The Great Law and the Longhouse: A Political History of the Iroquois Confederacy

William N. Fenton's synthesis covers the history and culture of the Six Nations from the mid-16th century to the 1794 Canandaigua treaty. The work extensively uses primary sources in French and English to analyze the continuity of Iroquois political tradition. Fenton's political ethnography extends into the twentieth century, verifying historical accounts with his own long experience.

Use Cases

• Analyze the continuity of political tradition based on the description of the Great Law as a living tradition.
• Study historical synthesis based on the use of primary sources in French and English from the mid-16th to 18th centuries.
• Examine political ethnography based on the relationship between customs and events described.
• Compare mythological narratives based on the analysis of multiple versions of the same myth mentioned.

Strengths

• Authored by William N. Fenton, described as the dean of Iroquoian studies.
• Covers a significant time range from the mid-16th century to 1794, with ethnography extending into the 20th century.
• Uses primary sources extensively in both French and English.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

William N. Fenton, University of Ottawa

Collection Method

Synthesis of primary historical sources and the author's own ethnographic experience.

Time Range

Mid-16th century to 1794, with ethnography extending into the 20th century.

Geography

Likely focuses on the traditional territories of the Iroquois Confederacy (Six Nations) in North America.