When we think about government, we often picture modern structures like presidents, congresses, and courts. Many of us were taught that government and democracy were introduced to the Americas by European settlers, bringing law and order to an untamed land. But is that really true? Before diving into this topic, I assumed that government didn’t exist in the Americas before colonization. After all, when the first humans arrived, they were small groups of hunter-gatherers moving across the continent. Could they have had any form of government? The answer, it turns out, is more complex than a simple yes or no.
Consider the Great Migration into the Americas, which likely occurred between 20,000 and 15,000 years ago. During the Ice Age, early humans from Asia crossed into North America, most likely over the Bering Land Bridge, which connected Siberia to Alaska. Others may have arrived by sea, following the Pacific coastline. These first settlers slowly moved south, reaching South America by at least 14,000 years ago. Some evidence from archaeological sites in Mexico even suggests humans may have been present as early as 30,000 years ago, though this is still debated.
At this stage in history, there was no such thing as government, at least not in the way we define it today. The early migrants were nomadic hunter-gatherers, meaning they traveled in small groups searching for food, water, and shelter. They had no cities, no formal leadership, and no written laws. Decisions were likely made collectively in groups of twenty to fifty people, with experienced hunters and elders taking the lead when needed. Justice was informal—if someone was disruptive, they might simply be expelled from the group.
This pattern wasn’t unique to the Americas. Anthropologists studying early human societies worldwide—including prehistoric groups in Africa, Europe, and Asia—have found that before the rise of agriculture, humans generally lived in small, self-sufficient bands with no formal governments. In these societies, leadership was fluid and based on skill, experience, or influence rather than an official ruling position. There were no tax systems, courts, or written laws—social norms were enforced by tradition, and survival depended on cooperation. Looking at these early societies, it’s reasonable to conclude that the first humans in the Americas functioned similarly. At that stage, there was no need for structured government.
But as populations grew, things changed. Over time, hunter-gatherer bands evolved into settled communities. Farming replaced a nomadic lifestyle, leading to the development of permanent villages. With larger communities came new challenges: disputes over land and resources, the need for defense, and the complexities of trade. Governance naturally emerged as a response. Some individuals became recognized leaders, councils formed to make decisions, and social rules developed to maintain order. This process didn’t happen all at once, but by the time European settlers arrived, many Native American societies had fully developed systems of government.
One of the most significant examples of pre-colonial democracy in North America was the Iroquois Confederacy. Formed between ~1100 and ~1400 CE, this alliance brought together six nations: the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora. Unlike European monarchies, the Iroquois Confederacy was governed through a council of chiefs, with leaders chosen by clan mothers rather than inheriting power by birth. Decisions were made through consensus rather than by force. The Confederacy operated under the Great Law of Peace, a constitution that outlined governance, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers studied the Iroquois system when drafting the U.S. Constitution, demonstrating that democracy was alive and well in North America long before the birth of the United States.
The Iroquois were not the only Native civilization with structured government. The Mississippian culture, which thrived from ~700 to ~1400 CE, built one of the largest cities in North America at Cahokia. This society was ruled by a paramount chief, with a hierarchy of leaders overseeing trade, laws, and military organization. Further south, the Aztec Empire had an emperor, regional governors, tax systems, and a structured military. The Inca Empire developed one of the most sophisticated bureaucracies of its time, with a chain of command extending thousands of miles and a system of record-keeping using quipu, knotted strings instead of written language. These civilizations prove that government evolved in the Americas independently, long before European contact.
Looking at history, it’s clear that government is not something that was imported into the Americas—it developed here naturally. In the earliest days of human migration, there was no government because it wasn’t necessary. Small groups could function without laws or leaders. But as societies grew, they required structure, leadership, and rules to manage conflict and maintain order. The rise of government was a natural part of human civilization, whether in Mesopotamia, China, or the Americas.
The Iroquois Confederacy, in particular, raises an interesting question: what lessons can modern governments learn from early Native systems? The Iroquois valued consensus, balance, and decentralized power—principles that are often missing in today’s political systems. At a time when governments worldwide are becoming increasingly centralized and bureaucratic, perhaps there is wisdom in looking back at how Indigenous societies maintained order and cooperation.
For those who still believe that European settlers brought government to a lawless land, history tells a different story. Government in the Americas existed long before colonization, evolving alongside Native civilizations as they adapted to the challenges of leadership, justice, and trade. The Founding Fathers may have written the U.S. Constitution, but democracy in America began centuries before they ever set foot on the continent.
But this history also leads to a bigger question: why does society need government in the first place?
Government, in its most basic form, exists because people think they need organization, safety and laws. As soon as humans stopped roaming in small bands and began forming communities, they needed ways to manage resources, resolve conflicts, and defend themselves. Without structure, disputes could spiral into endless cycles of violence, and essential services—like roads, trade, and security—would become impossible to maintain. Every major civilization, from the earliest Mesopotamian city-states to modern nations, developed some form of government not because they were forced to, but because it became necessary for survival.
That said, just because government exists doesn’t mean I agree with it. I understand why it formed, but at its core, I do not believe that one man has authority over another. No person, politician, or bureaucrat should dictate how another lives their life. And yet, that’s exactly what government has become—a system where a select few control the many, deciding how much you get paid, where you can and cannot live, when, where, and how you can buy food, and even what medical care you’re allowed to receive.
This is where government, once a tool of order, transforms into a tool of control. Society has become content with letting government dictate nearly every aspect of daily life. What started as a necessary system to maintain stability has evolved into an unchecked force of regulation, taxation, and surveillance. The more power government has, the less power individuals have over their own lives. And yet, most people accept this without question, believing that without government, chaos would reign.
The truth is, government is not about protecting people—it’s about controlling them. And once a government grows beyond its original limits, it never willingly gives back power. History has shown time and time again that as governments expand, individual freedoms shrink. The Roman Republic became an empire. The United States, founded on limited government, has turned into a bloated system of unelected bureaucracies regulating everything from what kind of lightbulbs you can buy to what kind of speech is acceptable.
Government will always exist because society has decided it should—but that doesn’t mean it should have unquestioned authority. The more centralized and powerful it becomes, the less it serves the people. That’s why civilizations like the Iroquois Confederacy, where leadership was decentralized and based on consensus, stand in stark contrast to the power-hungry regimes we see today. The question isn’t whether government should exist—it’s whether governments should be limited and accountable, or unchecked and self-serving.
If we want a society that values freedom over control, the answer isn’t to eliminate government entirely—it’s to demand that government works for the people, not against them. That’s a lesson history has taught us again and again. The question is, will we listen?