Final answer:
Iroquois law, embodied by the constitution of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, was passed down through oral tradition and influenced the U.S. Constitution. It incorporated concepts of checks and balances, with leadership vested in a council of sachems chosen from hereditary lines.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, implemented a sophisticated system of governance with a constitution that conveyed various progressive concepts, including checks and balances and separation of power. This constitution greatly impressed and influenced figures such as Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers, suggesting that many principles of the Haudenosaunee governance were interwoven into the United States Constitution. The Iroquois law has been preserved through oral tradition and political structures. The Confederacy was governed by councils comprising fifty sachems from the Five Nations. These leaders formed a council and were chosen from specific families who inherited the role, indicating a blend of democratic principles alongside hereditary