Beginning in 1701, the Iroquois, at their nadir after twenty years of warring, sought to rebuild the Confederacy. By design or circumstance, they carried out sophisticated diplomatic relations with their Indian and white neighbors, gradually recouping much of their political, military, and economic power. The Iroquois helped shape the frontier, influencing Westward expansion, the fur trade, and colonial warfare.

In a new introduction, Richard Aquila discusses recent scholarship and trends in Iroquois studies. A professor of history and director of the American Studies Program at Ball State University, he is the author of Wanted Dead or Alive: The American West in Popular Culture.

"This meticulous study, with its interpretive themes, represents a major contribution to Iroquois historiography. It fills a gap in the literature, addresses important issues, and has the further advantage of presenting the Indian perspective."—Journal of American History

"Aquila’s work does for the eighteenth century much of what George Hunt’s Wars of the Iroquois did for the seventeenth century: it provides a comprehensive overview of Iroquois history."—Western Historical Quarterly

"[A] well-organized, deeply researched, and thoroughly documented, as well as highly readable, addition to the literature on Indian-white relations."—New York History

"Although [Aquila] is no sentimentalist, his study cannot help but contribute to the high reputation of the Iroquois as diplomats and political innovators."—Reviews in American