Topography
The Iroquois tribes lived in the upper part of the great lakes around Lake Simcoe and Lake Ontario where they are surrounded rivers and lakes. About five hundred years ago, rivers and lakes worked as the highways we have today, which shortened months of transportation into just a few weeks. Because transportation was much easier, the Iroquois had quick access to the interior grounds for hunting, fast northern trading routes and a fastest route from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay, which still held a strategic importance even after the depopulation of 1650. The rivers and lakes not only gave the Iroquois a geological advantage in trades and transportation, they also possessed an important resource for food and water. Having fresh water and enough food was never a problem for the Iroquois, because there is a vast amount of seafood and tons of fresh water in the lakes and rivers. Although seafood is always available, they don’t have to eat it all the time, because the rich fertile soil they have can grow an excellent population. The soil was rich enough that exertion was unnecessary, thus saved them a lot of work. Waterways from their highland led in all directions, which gave the Iroquois a huge advantage over their surrounding tribes. The Iroquois’ proximity to the Hudson River helped them to obtain over four hundred firearms by 1643 from the Dutch at Fort Orange. The land that the Iroquois possessed gave them both protections from attacks of neighboring tribes and freedom to intercourse with each other.
Made by Cathy Xing
Block D
2013
Block D
2013