A People's History Of The Us By Howard Zinn Analysis

Separation of groups and people is a product of society through the combinations of its laws, codes, policies, and actions. As quoted from an ethnic studies textbook, Racial Formation by Omi and Winant, "First we argue that racial formation is a process of historically situated projected in which human bodies and social structures are represented and organized" (pg 56-57). Another textbook used commonly in ethnic studies, A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, talks about American history in a chronological sequence. Each chapter talks on a certain event in American history as he retells the events, and focuses on the role of the people who were affected by it in great detail. Zinn does this to prove the fact that those who
He describes Indians as a peaceful group of people in contrast towards Europeans, who are cruel and seek to enslave the Indians for gold and their labor. The Europeans were declared from their government/leaders to seek sources of wealth no matter what. In turn, Indians were treated as lower beings and separated from the non-natives living near them. Indians were seen as inferior, different, and as commodities by the explorers. As Zinn's book stated that a scribe for the explorers "urged replacing Indians by black slaves" (pg. 14). Zinn then states how the number of Indian population drastically dropped overtime due to violence, slavery, and disease.Proponents attempt to justify the European's actions by saying that these sacrifices are necessary for human progress. Zinn argues "that quick disposal might be acceptable ('Unfortunate, yes, but it had to be done') to the middle and upper classes of the conquering and 'advanced' countries. But it is acceptable to... the victims of that progress which benefits a privileged minority in the world?" (pg. 27). Spain did have a brief period of prosperity when all the gold and silver was shipped back. However, that was
In Chapter 3 of Zinn's Book, Persons of Mean and Vile Condition, Zinn describes the events of Englishmen having conflict with other groups of people who were different from them. A group of white frontiersmen, that consisted of slaves and servants. They were colonists who had came from Europe to settle in the Americas in hope of seeking wealth. Tensions were high between colonists and Englishmen who were initially there because the British controlled the land and drove the frontiersman towards Indian territory. The British were to the east, with the Indians to west, with the frontiersman in amidst the chaos between the British and Indians. The frontiersman were taxed heavily from the ongoing conflict. The frontiersman were poor, paid poorly, and times were tough as the book states "it was a dry summer, ruining the corn crop, which was needed for food, and the tobacco crop, needed for export." (pg. 56). Nathaniel Bacon was a man who became an icon of resentment for frontiersman towards the Virginia elite who controlled everything. Bacon held a speech that held a mixture of resentment towards both the Indians and the British. The British had used favoritism to ensure that frontiersman would never become officials, they had monopolized many types of trades, levied heavy taxes on the frontiersman, and did not protect them from the Indians. Bacon then held a rebellion, which lasted