Preview

Howard Zinn Chapter Summary

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
626 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Howard Zinn Chapter Summary
At times, history appears to be just like a deliberately curated set of truths, figures, and events that when taken together advance a particular philosophy or perspective. Along these lines, Americans concentrate only on individuals, places, and events that maintain the thought of American exceptionalism. Wars and the success of men dominate the lives of ladies, and Europeans are given priority. The quote by W.E.B. DuBois underscores the intrinsic falseness in imminent history, given that in some capacity there will dependably be editorializing. Howard Zinn likewise reassembles American history in a way that subverts the worldview that had been taught identified with the matchless quality of private enterprise and the white-washing of key defining moments. A People's History of the United …show more content…
DuBois on his test. These writers uncover the agonizing parts of American history, with a specific end goal to give a more honest picture of occasions and how they affected groups other than the white men in authority. As to First Nations or Native Americans, Zinn scrutinizes Columbus' own newsletters and requests that the reader view the developing of colonization from the point of view of the general population whose land, employment, society, and lifestyle would be horribly stolen and assaulted. At the point when "the past is told from the perspective of governments, conquerors, ambassadors, leaders," the outcome is a skewed form of history intended just to support the idea that Europeans by one means or another conveyed enlightening power to the savages they experienced. (Zinn, Chapter 1) Schoolchildren are taught to revere Columbus, and make idols out of slave proprietors like Thomas Jefferson. As DuBois points out, the fact that these statements have for so long stay unchallenged is the core of what isn't right with history – and with the nation. Indoctrinating kids is a certain method for propagating forms of social injustice and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Zinn Chapter summaries

    • 1854 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In chapter 15 it talks about the end of World War I temporarily brought prosperity to the United States. With its influence growing in the world, the mixture of big business and government was increasingly looking to expand American power overseas. There was still dissatisfaction at home with the pace of reforms. The AFL and the IWW staged a general strike in Seattle in 1919 that resulted in 100,000 workers walking off the job. This strike was put down by violence despite the worker’s adherence to peaceful protest. Several prominent labor leaders were imprisoned and a mass lynching occurred…

    • 1854 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Where to begin with the multitude of facts left out? Such hints equating material inequities with injustice abound in Zinn’s history. Zinn banks on the fact that schools produce graduates with only “a smattering of knowledge about the American past” at best—and almost no understanding about the foundations and intellectual history of our government. Other questions come up in regards to the rationale of our system of government. Zinn, in what has now become standard practice, indicts the founders for leaving out of the idea of all men being “created equal” black men, property-less men, and women. Then he preempts the reply that such exclusions have since been corrected by claiming that The problem of democracy in the post-Revolutionary society was not, however, Constitutional limitations on voting. It lay deeper, beyond the Constitution, in the division of society into rich and poor. For if some people had great wealth and great influence; if they had the land, the money, the newspapers, the church, the educational system—how could voting, however broad, cut into such power? There was still another problem: wasn’t it the nature of representative government, even when most broadly based, to be conservative, to prevent tumultuous change?20 Indeed, this sets up the basis for the rest of Zinn’s critique through over 700 tedious pages. All of Zinn’s analyses of succeeding events and developments follow from the flawed premise and the unwillingness to acknowledge the fact that his question had already been answered by the founders. Differences arise also from Zinn’s goals. Zinn is after “tumultuous change.” He seeks to overthrow the government rather than reform it. And he will display this view in his academic activities, especially when it comes to the civil rights movement. The need for “tumultuous” change will inform like-minded radicals who will keep raising the bar even as…

    • 4694 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Howard Zinn covers early Native American civilization in North America and the Bahamas, the genocide and slavery committed by the crew of Christopher Columbus, and the violent colonization by early settlers. While Paul Johnson stated that “the creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures”. Their points of views are completely 2 different stories.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Bunker Hill Research Paper

    • 2633 Words
    • 11 Pages

    America’s history has been shaped by her people – ALL of her people. Until recently, the history books have managed to present a very one–sided view which conveys the impression that the deeds and actions which formed this great country were almost exclusively carried out by America’s white population. History books have made it believable because they have sprinkled in small doses of other nationalities and races. The worst part is that the vast majority of the people of the United States of America have bought it hook, line and sinker. The majority will continue to believe that history until the day they die because that is…

    • 2633 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Howard Zinn Critique

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Howard Zinn’s history shows an alternative point of view, but not an alternative history, compared to many historians. If many historians considered Columbus great, Zinn shows how he is not so great; if many historians say the Native…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    howard zinn ch 14

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “...as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches.”- Howard Zinn…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    howard sinn Chapter 1

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The primary topic of chapter one in “A People’s History Of The United States” by Howard Zinn is the viewpoint of history through the eyes of the Indians during the time of the discovery of the Americas. He also goes on to say how in history many cruel and unjust things are left out or briefly told and immediately covered up. Many people view Columbus as a hero when they think of him. He did amazing things, he sailed the unknown and discovered new lands. But what most people don’t know is what happened to the people already living on these lands when he and other explorers showed up.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Same as we have official documents marking our nation’s progress, there are many others that are unofficial that have steered events, whether by inciting, critiquing, warning, encouraging, cajoling, enraging, or inspiring. The words in this unofficial manifesto are so powerful that they still echo trough time, blending with other potent phrases from other outspoken souls to form a grand montage of ideas and urgings, odes, and rants, tall tales and truthful testimonies. This ‘’unauthorized ‘’ biography of our nation is scrawled in letters and diaries, in pamphlets and propaganda, in novels and essays. Fischer argued for the more powerful unofficial document by even by saying that with out some the following key scripts; key moments in U.S history might never even have taken place.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Brinkley, A. (2007). American history: a survey, 12e. Retrieved on January 15, 2010, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx.…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Late Howard Zinn is a very respectable historian. He is very bold and is willing to state things that cause quite a bit of controversy. Throughout one’s youth we go on learning history in anecdotes and learning important facts such as dates and memorization of legal documents; however Zinn takes a very crucial look at small events and also takes note of who the founding fathers were and what they really wanted.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Zinn’s reoccurring stories of disagreement concerning the people’s outlook of the war are particularly effective in supporting his argument against industrialism and power during the Great War. Since American’s live in a current society that wholeheartedly backs the freedom of individualism and expressionism, his argument paves a direct path of progress and comparison…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Zinn Chapter 9

    • 1538 Words
    • 4 Pages

    2. What actions did the U.S. government take to support slavery? Do these actions support Zinn's assertion on p. 139 that "Such a government would never accept an end to slavery by rebellion"? Why would the white elite want to determine when and how slavery would end?…

    • 1538 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Study Guide

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    According to Zinn, how is Columbus portrayed in traditional history books? as an enlightened, peaceful explorer who befriended the native people. Christopher Columbus, portrayed by Zinn as an agent of conquest with a lust for gold and other resources, was one who had the willingness to torture and kill others to obtain these goals. Zinn states that what had been presented for students' history in the past was an agenda to preserve the power of social elites.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Mission

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Conversely, Historian Zinn describes this sense of American exceptionalism and “Divine ordination” in conjunction with military power as a…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reform

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cited: Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America A Narrative History. 8th ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 512+. Print.…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays