The Revolutionary War divided communities and shattered ancient alliances. Along New York's frontier, simmering rivalries among settlers of European descent boiled over with threats and violent clashes. Many who remained loyal to King George III were driven from their homes and forced into exile in Canada by armed revolutionaries.
Most warriors of the powerful confederation of Haudenosaunee nations remained neutral for the first two years of the war. Pressure from both the British and the rebellious American colonists led to the covering of the confederacy's council fire in 1777, freeing warriors to choose sides. Because of the colonists' insatiable demand for land, most Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Onondaga sided with the British, hoping that a victorious Royal Government might be able to restrain the land-hungry colonists.
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One of the most violent battles of the Revolutionary War occurred at Oriskany on August 6, 1777. It was the first time that Oneida warriors, who openly sided with the rebellious Americans, fought against other Haudenosaunee warriors who allied themselves with the British.
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Although the French called them the Iroquois, and the English referred to them collectively as the Six Nations, these Native Americans have always referred to themselves as Haudenosaunee, which translates as "people of the loghouse," a reference to the traditional Haudenosaunee longhouse pictured in this drawing by John Fadden. The council fire was reestablished at Buffalo Creek following the Revolutionary War.
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