Why hadn't Native Americans already formed a democracy before european explorers discovered the new world?

Answer 1

Why weren't Europeans living in little huts with campfires and learning the ways of the spirits and their ancestors?

1. They didn't think of it.
2. They didn't want to.

Choose one, or both.

Answer 2

Why hadn't any other European culture except the ancient Greeks formed a democracy? It was a Greek cultural idea/ideal, pure and simple. If it weren't for the Greeks, democracy as we know it today, wouldn't exist. Don't blame the Native Americans for not developing democracy. No Asian, African, or European (with the sole exception of the Greek) society ever did it either. One could make a case for the Iroquois Confederacy being a democratic system, in that the tribes worked together a la the ancient Greek city states, but the Greeks had only one dictatorship among them (Sparta), while the Iroquois were all ruled by tribal chieftains who were virtual dictators. They were royalty. The chief was an inherited title, just like the European kings were. Democracy was totally different. And while common men have ascended to positions of power in lots of cultures during wartime, the Greeks were the first to make such transitions in peacetime. We can't begin to repay the debt we owe to the ancient Greeks!

Answer 3

Who says?
Quite a few native nations were governed with democratic principles, though they may have been less formalized than you'd like. The early settlers and later colonists may have been influenced by the Five Nations, for instance, when they evolved into looking at ancient Greece and Rome and away from monarchy in the run-up to the Revolution.

Answer 4

Most tribes were ruled by some variation on the on pure democracy. Leaders were often chosen temporarily and as need dictated.

On another note the Iroqouis confederacy was formed sometime between 1570 and 1620, not that much earlier than French settlment.
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The Venetiens also formed a type of democracy in their nation, but are overlooked so much it isn't even funny.

Answer 5

Given the shear size of our country,the native tribes were at war at one point in time or another with one another,for hunting rights etc,but,it was the usual clannish infighting,which the Europeans realized&used ti thier advantage,to say nothing of bringing with them a whole host of diseasesfor which the native Americans had no defense

Answer 6

the answer is simple, but probably extremely hard for you to understand.
"no human is worth more then the other human"

Sure the 'chief' made some decisions but at the end of the day, he had to gather his own firewood. The decisions he made were ALWAYS what the majority of the people wanted. A Chief that went against the people usually was killed or banished for it. Cheif's were NOT dictators but more of a 'spokesman" that dealt with other tribes.

Answer 7

Um, they actually had. In almost all Native American cultures, the voice of the tribe was unbelievably important. The chieftain was generally considered a first among equals. He didn't rule by decree.

Answer 8

They did but they weren't Greek so we pretend like they didn't. We wanted to claim the lineage of the Greeks and the Romans (the Republic part before wildman crossed the Rubicon).

Answer 9

Obviously you haven't studied the Iroquois Confederacy or the Six Nations of the Iroquois. Our government is patterned after their organization of senatorial seats and vote by majority.

Answer 10

Don't make me laugh....the Iroqois Confederacy was used as a model by our Founding Fathers....