Question

In the ohio valley the iroquois were known for their ability to play the french and british empires against each other. In the Ohio Valley (the "middle ground"), the Iroquois were known for their ability to play the French and British empires against each other.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

True, the Iroquois were known for leveraging their position between the French and British in the Ohio Valley, allying with the British during the French and Indian War and experiencing internal division during the American Revolution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The idea of the Iroquois playing the French and British empires against each other in the Ohio Valley is indeed true. Over time, the Iroquois, particularly through the Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee, demonstrated political savvy by navigating colonial conflicts to their advantage. During the French and Indian War, the Ohio Valley was a crucial theater of conflict between the French and British powers. The Iroquois skillfully allied with the British in exchange for promises regarding indigenous rights to contested frontier lands. Moreover, in the context of the American Revolution, the Iroquois Confederacy was divided about neutrality; Mohawk Joseph Brandt (Thayenadanega) was instrumental in aligning most Iroquois nations with the British, which maintained their influence in the region and represented a strategic stand amidst shifting allegiances.