The Little-Known Inspiration for the American Constitution

The United States Constitution was an inspired document. The authors were brilliant, and the Founding Fathers who wrote it geniuses. But they didn’t pull their inspiration out of thin air .. For example, one of the core principles which the Founding Fathers built into the American system of government and our Constitutions is separation of powers. This idea – also called “checks and balances” – ensures that no single person or group can seize all of the powers for themselves. Decisions are therefore more likely to benefit the nation as a whole … and not just those making decisions. As Lord Acton noted: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. By spreading power around, absolute corruption is less likely to occur. But few people know where the principle of separation of powers came from originally. The New York Times noted in 1988: In the mid-16th century, five northeastern Indian tribes – Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida and Cayugaa – formed the Iroquois Confederacy, joined later by the Tuscarora tribe. They adopted a constitution, reflecting concepts of checks and balances and separation of powers that impressed such later Americans as Washington, Franklin and other Founding Fathers.



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