When a chief died the matron of the clan would select a new chief from his line. This new chief would usually be either a brother or a nephew, however it would never be the son. The high level of organization found within the Iroquois nation made them a very independent people. As a result, when the English came to their lands they did not sit back passively and allow the takeover of their lands.
Being such a close and organized group helped the Iroquois to become a powerful Native American nation. The Iroquois had a reputation for being confrontational, which was not a terribly presumptuous accusation; they were even called Mengwe, "treacherous," by their enemies. Early in the history of the Iroquois the Five Nations found it necessary to fight in order to maintain competitive in the fur trade and maintain their way of life. Before the Europeans came to North America, the Iroquois were an "agricultural people and good farmers," mainly they grew corn, which they supplemented with pumpkins, beans, tobacco and orchard fruits. However, once the traders and colonists arrived on the continent it became obvious that they could not remain so. The Europeans brought superior weapons with them to North America, which they were willing to trade for objects the Indians had that they found desirable. However, the traders did not want any of the agricultural products that the Iroquois produced. The traders had an interest in fur, mainly beaver, that they could sell on the European market. The Iroquois adapted to this and hunted beaver. They eventually exhausted their land of beaver and to remain active in the fur trade they had to expand their territory. Unfortunately, other Native American groups already occupied the land on which they wished to move. In the beginning to compensate for their lack of furs, the Iroquois took to piracy, raiding French trade routes and ambushing Huron fur fleets; but eventually they tired of this and desired to conquer the areas occupied by other tribes.