Gaskin argues that the founding myth of America does not begin with the Pilgrims. Long before European settlement, Native nations had governments, diplomacy, agriculture, trade networks, spiritual traditions, and political authority. The article suggests that the United States was founded in the middle of Native homelands and that Native nations were forced to make difficult choices among British, French, Spanish, and American powers. It also notes that Native records are often male-skewed due to colonial archival practice, not because Native women lacked authority. This article includes a selective list of Native leaders and peoples whose lives help America 250 tell a more truthful story.