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How did the Haudenosaunee Confederacy support the British during the French and Indian War?

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Painting of Edward Braddock and British troops in uniform advancing through dense forest, facing Native American and French fighters during the French and Indian War near Fort Duquesne. — French and Indian War British commander Edward Braddock and his troops preparing to march on the French-held Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) during the French and Indian War.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy played a strategic role in the French and Indian War by maintaining a long-standing alliance with the British, rooted in their status as bitter enemies of the French and their allies.1

To secure this support, the British sought to solidify their relationship with the confederacy through the Albany Congress in 1754. During this conference, representatives from seven British colonies met with approximately 150 Haudenosaunee delegates. The British provided gifts, trade goods, and promises to address the confederacy's grievances to ensure their loyalty or neutrality in the impending conflict.1

The Haudenosaunee were motivated by their dependence on the British in Albany for European goods, which were more affordable than those available in French-controlled Montreal. By controlling the vital path between Albany and the Great Lakes, the Haudenosaunee effectively hindered French settlement and expansion, serving as a crucial buffer that supported British interests throughout the struggle for North America.12