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"Long knives" was a term used by the Iroquois, and later by the Mingo and other indigenous peoples of the Ohio Country to designate white settlers from Virginia, in contradistinction to those of New York and Pennsylvania.

It is a literal translation of the treaty name that the Iroquois first bestowed on Governor Lord Howard in 1684, Assarigoe (variously spelled Assaregoa, Assaragoa, Asharigoua), meaning "cutlass" in Onondaga. This word was chosen as a pun on Howard's name, which sounds like Dutch houwer meaning "cutlass"^[1] (similar to the Iroquois' choice of the name Onas, or "quill pen", for the Pennsylvania Governors, beginning with William Penn.) This is the very explanation included within official diplomatic correspondence addressed by the Iroquois sachems themselves to then-governor Spotswood in 1722.^[2]

George Rogers Clark spoke of himself and men as "Big Knives" or Virginians, in his speeches to the Indians in 1778 after the capture of Illinois. In the latter part of the American Revolutionary War, down to and during the War of 1812, the term was used to designate "Americans".

References

^ contemporary 17th c. source affirming Dutch hower = "cutlass"
^ Iroquois-Virginia negotiations of 1722 – (note the date 1784 is incorrectly printed here for 1684).

Dictionary of American History by James Truslow Adams, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.
Chronicles of Border Warfare: "A history of whites and of the Indian Wars and Massacres", Alexander Scott Withers, 1831 p78-79.

[1] temporary 17th c. source affirming Dutch hower = "cutlass"

[2] Iroquois-Virginia negotiations of 1722 – (note the date 1784 is incorrectly printed here for 1684).

[1]

[2]

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+{{distinguish|text=the [[Nazi]] purge known as the [[Night of the Long Knives (1934)]]}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-{{distinguish2|the [[Nazi]] purge known as the [[Night of the Long Knives (1934)]]}}
-'''Long knives''' or '''big knives''' was a term used by the [[Iroquois]] (Mingo) and later by [[North American Indians|American Indians]] of the [[Ohio Country]] to designate British colonists of [[Virginia]], in contradistinction to those of [[New York State|New York]] and [[Pennsylvania]].
+'''"Long knives"''' was a term used by the [[Iroquois]], and later by the [[Mingo]] and other [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]] of the [[Ohio Country]] to designate white settlers from [[Colony of Virginia|Virginia]], in contradistinction to those of [[Province of New York|New York]] and [[Province of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]].
-It is a literal translation of the treaty name that the Iroquois first bestowed on Virginia Governor [[Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham|Lord Howard]] in 1684, ''Assarigoe'' (variously spelled ''Assaregoa, Assaragoa, Asharigoua''), meaning "[[cutlass]]" in Onondaga.  This word was chosen as a pun on Howard's name, which sounds like Dutch ''hower'' meaning "cutlass" (similar to the Iroquois' choice of the name ''Onas'', or quill pen, for the Pennsylvania Governors, beginning with William Penn.)
+It is a literal translation of the treaty name that the Iroquois first bestowed on Governor [[Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham|Lord Howard]] in 1684, ''Assarigoe'' (variously spelled ''Assaregoa, Assaragoa, Asharigoua''), meaning "[[cutlass]]" in Onondaga.  This word was chosen as a pun on Howard's name, which sounds like Dutch ''houwer'' meaning "cutlass"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MZurlZfg1fAC&dq=hower+cutlass&pg=PA141 contemporary 17th c. source affirming Dutch ''hower'' = "cutlass"]</ref> (similar to the Iroquois' choice of the name ''Onas'', or "quill pen", for the Pennsylvania Governors, beginning with William Penn.) This is the very explanation included within official diplomatic correspondence addressed by the Iroquois sachems themselves to then-governor Spotswood in 1722.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8DJEAQAAMAAJ&dq=hower+cutlass&pg=PA251 Iroquois-Virginia negotiations of 1722] – (note the date 1784 is incorrectly printed here for 1684).</ref>
+[[George Rogers Clark]] spoke of himself and men as "Big Knives" or Virginians, in his speeches to the Indians in 1778 after the [[Illinois campaign|capture of Illinois]]. In the latter part of the [[American Revolutionary War]], down to and during the [[War of 1812]], the term was used to designate "Americans".
-The name "long knives" is also thought to{{fact|date=June 2015}} refer to the swords carried by colonial military officers.
-[[George Rogers Clark]] spoke of himself and men as "Big Knives" or Virginians, in his speeches to the Indians in 1778 after the [[Battle of Vincennes|capture of Illinois]]. In the latter part of the [[American Revolutionary War]], down to and during the [[War of 1812]], the term was used to designate `Americans`.
 ==References==
+<references />
 * ''Dictionary of American History'' by [[James Truslow Adams]], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.
+*[https://books.google.com/books?id=vGn7e2hidwgC&dq=mingo+junction+long+knives&pg=PA78 Chronicles of Border Warfare: "A history of whites and of the Indian Wars and Massacres", Alexander Scott Withers, 1831 p78-79.]
-[[Category:Colonial Virginia]]
+[[Category:Colony of Virginia]]
 [[Category:Native American history of Virginia]]
 [[Category:Exonyms]]
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 [[Category:War of 1812]]
 [[Category:Iroquois]]
-[https://books.google.com/books?id=vGn7e2hidwgC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=mingo+junction+long+knives&source=bl&ots=JhwmEONk4O&sig=l0Nw2BoRSzmgCc1zSD93dhW7CKk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SvEsUcP1Fczv0QHPuoCoAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=mingo%20junction%20long%20knives&f=false Chronicles of Border Warfare: "A history of whites and of the Indian Wars and Massacres", Alexander Scott Withers, 1831 p78-79.]