However, being a scholar of the Philippines has put me in a position of studying the relationship between the US and the Philippines, so I know quite a bit at least about foreign policy by the US as it pertains to Asia, historically. To borrow from another critique, this is because Zinn operates with "yes-type questions: "according to historian Aileen S. Kraditor, yes-type questions send the historian into the past armed with a wish list [...] 'If one historian asks, "Do the sources provide evidence of militant struggles among workers and slaves?" Focus questions and key terms (with definitions, of course) help you concentrate on important information and easily review it as you prep for tests. The tragedy however, is that I only ever read it because I went to college. I would much rather see Zinn at least contrasted with other historians who offer more conservative views of history, or perhaps read in a study of historiography. It's an important book, certainly, one whose influence future historians will study. At this point, A People's History Of The United States is available in regular form, read aloud on audio, on posters, in a teaching edition, and as just the twentieth century chapters (we have all but the posters). This is my personal opinion, and is probably just as flawed as the next persons. Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers. He goes to great lengths to tear down certain types of narratives that erased the ethical and moral aspects of history. In nauseating detail, Howard Zinn describes what actually happened after Christopher Columbus's first arrival in the Caribbean. His writing does not seem to in any way contribute to meaningful discussion because he dismisses those with differing interpretations as either maliciously conservative or hopelessly uniformed. Zinn reduces the past to a Manichean fable and makes no serious attempt to address the biggest question a leftist can ask about U.S. history: why have most Americans accepted the legitimacy of the capitalist republic in which they live? And primary texts should be focused on more. Zinn is much more interesting in the context of historiography than as an actual source of information. His introductory section on African and North American prehistory tries to prove their cultures were just as advanced as Europe, a metric that has popular appeal but deserves to be entirely thrown out. Only way to do it imo. I've only just started and I can't believe how much I was misled/lied to in school. More posts from the AskHistorians community. So, when we're faced with the actual America in practice, and we don't know what the hell is going on, we think everybody else is just sullying our idealized pictures of the country. J.P. Morgan, and Rockefeller, were savvy, revolutionary business men-even though they reduced half of the population to slave-like conditions in order to achieve their 'maximum profits'. I think that's a pretty spot-on analysis. comments; Want to join? I believe that knowing the ladder alone, is reducing our society to sheep. I already own and plan on reading "These Truths: A History of the United States" by Jill Lepore. Tyranny is Tyranny 5. Throughout all of high school, not once was it mentioned that the worst genocide in known History was committed by the same guy we have a Holiday named after. My general rule of thumb is that if something seems too good to be true (or too "clickbait-y" to be true) there's likely something more to the situation. A People’s History is bad history, albeit gilded with virtuous intentions. A People's History of the United States is a 1980 nonfiction book by American historian and political scientist Howard Zinn.In the book, Zinn presented what he considered to be a different side of history from the more traditional "fundamental nationalist glorification of country". In fact, the word "Christian" only appears 16 times in all 622 pages; "Catholic" only 19, "Methodist" and "Baptist" only twice, "evangelical" only once. Please Read Our Rules before you comment in this community. 5 4 45. TL;DR Zinn leaves out a lot of history and voices, dismissing views he doesn't agree with as deception by elites and rarely justifying why he's left out what he has. -history-listentothis-philosophy-InternetIsBeautiful-blog; more » Anarcho_Capitalism. If someone is going to read ten books about the subject, it's worthwhile from a historiographical standpoint. This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Log in or sign up in seconds. Those politics include goals which most historians would agree with: textbooks are generally too nationalist, they focus too much on elites, concerns of class and race are under-represented. The majority of us only understand this idealized America because it's all we're aware of. Very rarely, for example, do Americans learn about the unwarranted and unneeded invasion of the Philippines, an invasion that resulted in perhaps millions of Filipino deaths. But just nine votes behind was the late Howard Zinn's left-wing epic, A People's History of the United States. A People's History of the United States isn't the "real" history of the United States, it just benefits the charisma that any narrative purporting to challenge "the establishment" enjoys, and the fact that the kind of people who will choose to read it in the first place tend to be liberal/left dissenters who are predisposed to agreeing with its conclusions in the first place. Zinn reduces the past to a Manichean fable and makes no serious attempt to address the biggest question a leftist can ask about U.S. history: why have most Americans accepted the legitimacy of the capitalist republic in … This P.S. Posted by u/[deleted] 6 years ago. The evidence was shoddy and Arens rightly attacked it. A PEOPLE AND A NATION offers a lively narrative, telling the stories of the diverse peoples in the United States. Press J to jump to the feed. In An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, Dunbar-Ortiz adroitly challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the Indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them. Details about A People's History of the United States: "A wonderful, splendid book--a book that should be ready by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." In addition to RemindMeBot, consider using our Browser Extension, or getting the Weekly Roundup. But what I am saying, is that the objective history which led me to this opinion is currently being quarantined off from public knowledge. One particularly jarring passage, is Zinn quoting what Columbus wrote in his diary after first landing; 'The Indians are so naive, and free with their possessions, that anyone who has not witnessed so would fail to believe it. Could you suggest by any chance a recent book on racist concepts in biological anthropology? In high school history, they do spend some time covering The Trail of Tears, Slavery, and the Evils of the Jim Crow era, but its always done so in this theatric rendition of 'America' triumphing over intolerance. I have read Jill Lepore’s book and I think it’s quite excellent, by the way. User account menu. The prehistory of the United States comprises the occurrences within regions now part of the United States of America during the interval of time spanning from the formation of the Earth to the documentation of local history in written form.At the start of the Paleozoic era, what is now "North" America was actually in the southern hemisphere. Zinn's citations are absent or muddled in a single-page "bibliography." Achetez neuf ou d'occasion ISBN. Archived. One of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had, came about while reading the first chapter of 'A People's History of the United States.' They offer idiosyncratic interpretations of its function and nature. What does that look like? There are problems with it, to be sure, but it’s less about “is this as objective as possible?” and more about “this is trying to reject bad trends in history”. The result is a book that mentions "war" at least 970 times and whose focus on the wars, business, and politics of American history make it feel a lot closer to standard curriculum material than it would like to admit. Also a fair amount of Bury My Heart. No, it doesn’t. Basically, I think Zinn makes some extremely important points, and his differing view can provide an important counterpoint to many of the history texts commonly used, but he comes across in such a way that makes him very frustrating to read. Lincoln was a hero-even though he sent six hundred, thousand Americans to their deaths in a war which was primarily fought for economic purposes. That's a bad take though, because it's not representative. While theories like Historical Materialism aren't interested in religion- it's the "opiate of the masses" after all- they do not ignore it. The real issue is that it is written as a supplement. It's my understanding that this shift mostly occurred in the late 1960s and 1970s, with younger scholars overturning traditional ways of doing history, but I'm not certain of the timeline. From reading 'A peoples history,' I gained an objective stance on the history of America, instead of that idealized, fictitious narrative regurgitated in every high school history class. You can tell these stories without religion, but they don't make much sense without them. Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace. [Howard Zinn] As a historian who has done some looking into his primary source material he is often guilty of cherry picking or ignoring the full context of a situation. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers. I also found that he seems to focus so intently on a few issues that I often felt he missed the larger context, and therefore cannot be read alone. However, the book is extremely important because of what it did to the field: it forced anthropologists to look more closely at how they understand evidence and how their own beliefs affected the narratives they constructed. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Drawing the Color Line 3. Reading through A People's History of the United States... Close. The authors bring history to life by encouraging you to imagine what life was really like in the past. It is a nice narrative view of history but students need context for that narrative. Is the book worth reading for someone who wants to gain a better understanding of American history? So much completely ignored. I admit, up front, that this my first go at this book. A handful of other Protestant sects are name-dropped exactly once when they opposed a war, Islam, Hinduism, Orthodoxy, and Buddhism are entirely absent. Columbus , The Indians, and Human Progress 2. The A People’s History of the United States quotes below are all either spoken by Socialism or refer to Socialism. It's important to be aware of this. The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 started the European colonization of the Americas.Most colonies were formed after 1600, and the early records and writings of John Winthrop make the United States … To Noah, Georgia, Serena, Naushon, Will—and their generation. We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God 9. I vaguely remember some controversy surrounding a history book that exposed the darker side of American History, and whether or not it belonged next to traditional history text in schools. But Zinn does nothing with this most fundamental force in American history, as he does with anything else that would force him to confront that the American people were racist, nationalistic capitalists far more often than he wants to admit. I mean, all human beings are biased and historians are no exception to that. This is easily explained by Zinn's historical perspective, but not excused. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. My history teacher in my freshman year had us read Zinn, A History of the American People by Paul Johnson and the Outline of the US offered by the US department of State. Ya. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage in-depth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. But that was a lot of reading. The Intimately Oppressed 7. I couldn't finish reading his stuff due to how frustrated I got with him. Press J to jump to the feed. Index 1. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/december/wineburg-historiography-zinn-122012.html. Kazin also criticizes Zinn for leaving out religion. This is a moderated subreddit. NOTE: Is this is a better question for ? Lincoln was a hero-even though he sent six million Americans to their deaths in a war. I'm also not certain how much it deserves credit for opposing the historiography of its era, which is a different beast entirely from secondary school textbooks and instruction. Bad history, it turns out, transcends political divides. Christopher Columbus was not a hero. Along with the pain of finding that you’ve been steeped in lies throughout your entire education, there’s still plenty more to cry about as you start putting the pieces together. Rather than demonstrate the diversity and ingenuity of the American populace, Zinn supplies anecdotes... and more anecdotes. ISBN-13: 978-1285430843. I would strongly recommend it. More can always be said, but while you wait for new answers, you may wish to read the FAQ section on Zinn's work. So much glossed over. My APUS class had it and I think we read around 150 pages of it. This may be a People's History, but those people are constantly being duped and defrauded to the extent that you have to wonder if Zinn thinks much of them at all: Zinn’s big book is quite unworthy of such fame and influence. Some of his assertions were later discredited by thorough research. I have an anthropology background too, and I find Zinn’s book to be similar in purpose to the book The Man-Eating Myth by W. Arens. Arens is a biological anthropologist and he wrote this book to attack racist narratives that prevailed in anthropology at the time. Why is ISBN important? ...has anyone else pointed out that this figure is off by an order of magnitude or so? The book is still important now for that reason. They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for when I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, Brief 10th Edition 10th Edition by Mary Beth Norton (Author), Jane Kamensky (Author), Carol Sheriff (Author), & 4.1 out of 5 stars 54 ratings. I’m not going to act like I am a scholar of American history. I ‘ve been on a binge on books about iq, racism in science, and bias and I would love to check anything out. Contents Cover Title Page Chapter 1 – Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress Chapter 2 – Drawing the Color Line Chapter 3 – Persons of Mean and Vile Condition Chapter 4 – Tyranny Is Tyranny Chapter 5 – A Kind of Revolution Chapter 6 – The Intimate Whew as a high school English and History teacher thank you for a level headed response. I'm not trying to make some overtly liberal point here. Understand that rule breaking comments get removed. Yes, Zinn has chosen a particular topic to write about here, but that's not a choice you can make freely. ...and it feels a bit too impassioned for me. He covers more of the late 19th and early 20th century labors issues than many popular authors or school textbooks, and the resulting discussions of class are necessary, if not well supported by history. A Kind of Revolution 6. You should go and get it (and ones for your friends and family). Yes, and I can provide plenty of primary sources to prove it. The history of the United States started with the arrival of Native Americans in North America around 15,000 BC.Numerous indigenous cultures formed, and many disappeared in the 1500s. A People’s History is bad history, albeit gilded with virtuous intentions. The way it integrated itself into the minds of American people is hardly addressed. In less then two years of brutal enslavement, rape, torture, and pillaging, Columbus and his followers massacred the native Haitian population, setting the seeds for the America we know today. "Jewish" appears 12 times and "Jews" 13 times, but if we take out references to Jewish people in other countries, organization names, and where they're an example of an immigrant group, that leaves just two instances. The United States of Europe (USE), the European State, the European Superstate, the European Federation and Federal Europe are similar hypothetical scenarios of a single sovereign state in Europe (hence superstate), organised as a federation similar to the United States of America, as contemplated by political scientists, politicians, geographers, historians, futurologists, and fiction writers. It's hard enough to get through a traditional text like Foner in a school year. I am not. a people's history of the united states by Howard Zinn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1979 For Howard Zinn, long-time civil rights and anti-war activist, history and ideology have a lot in common. Historical interpretations that people disagree with are too often dismissed because not everyone is educated in history with an emphasis on historiography. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Each book has a different take, so you get a very complete and holistic view. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Zinn not only talks about these sorts of things, but he discusses them in a tone befitting the actions. I prefer my history dry and … Press J to jump to the feed. Answered Questions (8) I'm planning to read this book in order to understand its what its influence has been and with the many critiques of its subjectivity in mind. One of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had, came about while reading the first chapter of 'A People's History of the United States.' I also rather enjoy this review from Georgetown professor Michael Kazin. I recommend you read this comment from /u/Freedmenspatrol that addresses some specific questions about the book, while also touching on more general criticisms. He wrote that book to attack some of the popular historiography or historical viewpoints of the time, and how Americans are taught their own history. The New Press's Abridged Teaching Edition of A People's History of the United States has made Howard Zinn's original text available specifically for classroom use. It's an old book so a lot of you have probably read it already, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it. Second, we are sure that once you new people begin reading it, you'll go out and get a physical copy. I feel similar for Zinn. 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