Iroquois Diplomacy on the Early American Frontier (The Penguin Library of American Indian History)

Occupying territory between Canada and New York, the Six Nations of the Iroquois League held a strategic position near French, Dutch, and English interests. Although they were formidable adversaries, the Iroquois learned they could strengthen themselves more effectively by forging alliances than by waging war. Skillfully remaining neutral during North America's Anglo-French wars, they maintained an unrivaled influence in colonial America--at a time when other Indian nations were being destroyed or dispersed.