The Canadian Iroquois and the Seven Years' War

Joseph Leydon teaches geography at the University of Toronto.

The central premise of this book is that, during the Seven Years’ War,
the Amerindians and the French, although allies, conducted what the
author terms “parallel warfare.” This type of warfare stemmed from
the different military practices and aspirations of the two groups.
While the French engaged in war in order to advance the collective
interests of the French Empire, the Iroquois regarded warfare as a means
of obtaining status and prestige, particularly through the taking of
bounty, prisoners, and scalps. Disagreements centred most frequently on
Amerindian seizures of prisoners and on the murder of wounded opponents
after a surrender had been negotiated between the Europeans. This
fascinating book follows the fortunes of the Iroquois during each of the
major campaigns. MacLeod convincingly portrays the Iroquois as loyal and
knowledgeable partners in the French enterprise. The most important
contribution of his book lies in its presentation of the Seven Years’
War as a conflict not only between the British and the French but also
between Amerindian and European military rules and customs.