Council Quotes
This is one of the earliest examples of the establishment of a type of Commerce Department – a government institution to look after the commercial affairs of the state.
This is the origin of one of the first Departments of Commerce.
This was his version of the governing body of a republican commonwealth. His assumption was that the ablest men would be the nobility, the educated and religious (Catholic) elite.
Other than the United States, almost all constitutions define citizenship as a matter of birth, geography, ethnicity, and race. What made the Iroquois so successful was that they were bound by ideas and norms of social organization that tended to trump the other variables. When whites first came to America, the Iroquois, were the most sophisticated Native Americans. They were actually a confederation of 5 different tribes each of which was composed if many clans. Although fierce warriors, they had agreed not to fight each other and to assist if any were attacked. They developed a strong agricultural base, to go with the fishing and hunting, and their confederation were very aggressive and sophisticated traders taking them far from their upstate New York “capitol.” Their governmental structure was quite sophisticated with an elaborate, formal, system of checks and balances, multi-cameral legislatures that recognized numbers of citizens, power and wealth, and even cultural traditions. They were literate, capitalistic and globalistic in that they wanted to trade with all. They had written laws, and women had a role that was unique in world history in that only women owned property in a matrilineal society. Further, it was only the Clan Mothers who voted for the 50 Sachems (~Senators)—but their selections had to be accepted by the people they represented. Ironically the descendants of the Iroquois who remained in New York became a very successful Native American group. In the 2000 census, the average Indian in New York State earned the same income as the average White with no Indian gambling money.
Henry of Navarre. The Great Council was the first proposed International governing body—a precursor to the EEC, the UN and the League of Nations. Henry's plan included an international army and navy to enforce the decisions. See {622121} for another name for the idea.
This was in effect a “Real Estate Promotional Document. Democracy, self government, and the right to set their own taxes were major selling points. See {611572} and {611571} for other “features.”
