The Iroquois Confederation was founded by an indigenous leader named Hiawatha, who helped promote peace among the tribes after a long period of war. This is believed to have happened sometime in the fifteenth or sixteenth century.
The first contact of the <u>Iroquois</u> with non-indigenous people came in the 16th century. The first Europeans the <u>Iroquois</u> met were missionaries and merchants. The conflicts began in 1609, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain led a force that attacked them. The French were allies of the Algonquian Indians, enemies of the Iroquois.
The <u>Iroquois</u> teamed up with the British, offering them animal skins in exchange for European items like metal tools and firearms. As a result, they managed to expel several tribes from their traditional lands, such as the Huronians and the Eries.
