Native American’s Brilliant Warfare Tactics

It was a lot more than bows and arrows.

King Philip’s War. Capture of Brookfield, Massachusetts. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Native American Warfare

Native Americans are often romanticized in American culture — portrayed as “noble savages” attacking colonists.

As a result, you probably think Native Americans waged war like this:

1. Short, Quick Ambushes
2. Bows & Arrows
3. A lot Of Whooping & Yelling

But nothing could be farther from the truth.

Though history books talk about the colonists’ use of biological warfare & firearms, Native Americans adapted to the Europeans’ weapons and tactics.

And one of the first Native American groups to do so was the Iroquois Confederacy.

Iroquois Fortification and Defenses

Iroquois Village. Source: Hhhistory.com

The Iroquois Confederacy was a league of five tribes: Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca located in central New York. They were an advanced civilization, having agriculture and sedentary villages.