Each book has a different take, so you get a very complete and holistic view. 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. A handful of other Protestant sects are name-dropped exactly once when they opposed a war, Islam, Hinduism, Orthodoxy, and Buddhism are entirely absent. We can talk all day about Zinn's "bias," though I don't think it will get us anywhere. 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. To Noah, Georgia, Serena, Naushon, Will—and their generation. I prefer my history dry and … Press J to jump to the feed. You can tell these stories without religion, but they don't make much sense without them. Christopher Columbus was not a hero. 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. Columbus , The Indians, and Human Progress 2. In the meantime our Twitter, Facebook, and Sunday Digest feature excellent content that has already been written! User account menu. This is the metric by which Zinn's history fails. Cookies help us deliver our Services. 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.' 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. You should go and get it (and ones for your friends and family). 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. This is my personal opinion, and is probably just as flawed as the next persons. Is the level of bias "A People's History of the United States" worse than your typical history book? Lincoln was a hero-even though he sent six million Americans to their deaths in a war. Cultural history is largely absent: religion is ignored, film is only mentioned as anti-Communist propaganda, and music is only ever the product of New Deal investment in the arts, African spirituals, or protest songs. 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. He goes to great lengths to tear down certain types of narratives that erased the ethical and moral aspects of history. I think that's a pretty spot-on analysis. Yes, Zinn has chosen a particular topic to write about here, but that's not a choice you can make freely. In fact, the word "Christian" only appears 16 times in all 622 pages; "Catholic" only 19, "Methodist" and "Baptist" only twice, "evangelical" only once. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. A People’s History is bad history, albeit gilded with virtuous intentions. He is more concerned with telling the right or true history than with understanding the motivations, goals, and strategies of past peoples (a common fault of these types of "textbook alternatives". A People’s History is bad history, albeit gilded with virtuous intentions. No, it doesn’t. The Portal for Public History It's important to be aware of this. Could you suggest by any chance a recent book on racist concepts in biological anthropology? 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. 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. 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. One of the book’s more high-profile endorsements came in the 1997 Academy Award-winning film Good Will Hunting. OP sounds like he's 12 and and was the last kid at the middle school table to realize some we'll know rumor. 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. A Kind of Revolution 6. 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. I am not. Kazin is genuinely frustrated with the way Zinn dismisses the motivations of those he disagrees with, attributing nearly everything to manipulation and deception. Persons of Mean and Vile Condition 4. A People’s History of the United States, 1492-Present By Howard Zinn . 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. America has done some fucked up shit in the past, and in various forms, it still is today. Index 1. 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. Viet Nam, Anglo-Norman History | History of Knighthood. 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. 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.' ISBN. Log in or sign up in seconds. Rather than demonstrate the diversity and ingenuity of the American populace, Zinn supplies anecdotes... and more anecdotes. I admit, up front, that this my first go at this book. -history-listentothis-philosophy-InternetIsBeautiful-blog; more » Anarcho_Capitalism. In nauseating detail, Howard Zinn describes what actually happened after Christopher Columbus's first arrival in the Caribbean. 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'. It's an important book, certainly, one whose influence future historians will study. 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. Only way to do it imo. 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. 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. Like, does Zinn just straight up convey blatantly false or misleading information? Would "A People's History..." be a good companion piece or is too biased to be worth reading? 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 … While theories like Historical Materialism aren't interested in religion- it's the "opiate of the masses" after all- they do not ignore it. Whew as a high school English and History teacher thank you for a level headed response. Log In Sign Up. 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. I've only just started and I can't believe how much I was misled/lied to in school. This P.S. Reading through A People's History of the United States... Close. They offer idiosyncratic interpretations of its function and nature. I believe he says this in his intro. 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. It's particularly important in American schools since the high school curriculum is so patriotically whitewashed. It really was the ego element. Also a fair amount of Bury My Heart. The majority of us only understand this idealized America because it's all we're aware of. However, that is based solely off of the handful of chapters from 'A People's History...' and interviews with him I was required to read in high school. Nevertheless, it is not a good introduction on how to do history. He was the architect of a genocide, just like Hitler, Stalin, and every other historically 'evil' figure. But that was a lot of reading. 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 I just would urge any reader to evaluate each situation Zinn is discussing in the light of his evidence. Kazin also criticizes Zinn for leaving out religion. 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. 5 4 45. It's an old book so a lot of you have probably read it already, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it. 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. In nauseating detail, Howard Zinn describes what actually happened after Christopher Columbus's first arrival in the Caribbean. But just nine votes behind was the late Howard Zinn's left-wing epic, A People's History of the United States. We thank you for your interest in this question, and your patience in waiting for an in-depth and comprehensive answer to show up. Yes, and I can provide plenty of primary sources to prove it. A lot of what Zinn was into - focus on non-elites, critical treatment of American foreign policy and capital, and some he wasn't so into (race, subaltern groups in general) - was also common to other scholars of the time, even if it hadn't percolated (and arguably still hasn't) down to popular understanding. 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. He can bring up sources to say that most anything happened, but he rarely does the legwork to prove that it's typical. Drawing the Color Line 3. More posts from the AskHistorians community. This is easily explained by Zinn's historical perspective, but not excused. 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? But I would submit that, like Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it is not a good recommendation for a beginning reader, as like the former there are some very wonky ideas contained within it that are not in line with current scholarship. A PEOPLE AND A NATION offers a lively narrative, telling the stories of the diverse peoples in the United States. Mostly anecdotal issues. Historical interpretations that people disagree with are too often dismissed because not everyone is educated in history with an emphasis on historiography. Some of his assertions were later discredited by thorough research. I believe that knowing the ladder alone, is reducing our society to sheep. 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. Is the book worth reading for someone who wants to gain a better understanding of American history? This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. 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. Archived. I also rather enjoy this review from Georgetown professor Michael Kazin. "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. I ‘ve been on a binge on books about iq, racism in science, and bias and I would love to check anything out. Press J to jump to the feed. --Howard Fast With a new introduction by Anthony Arnove, this edition of the classic national bestseller chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing the sources will reply "Certainly." Does Arens’ book still hold up completely today in terms of his data? But what I am saying, is that the objective history which led me to this opinion is currently being quarantined off from public knowledge. Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. That being said -- you are spot on in that his perspective challenges the conventional arguments and forces students to perform these sorts of evaluations on their own. After reading this book, the current, strange state of western society made a lot more sense to me. A People's History of the United States Topics for Discussion Howard Zinn This Study Guide consists of approximately 31 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of A People's History of the United States. comments; Want to join? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs 8. The real issue is that it is written as a supplement. Racism in particular is either presented as a political tool or like a weather forecast: "Racism was strong" or "It was a time of intense racism in the United States." By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. 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. Tyranny is Tyranny 5. 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. This P.S. Bad history, it turns out, transcends political divides. It is a nice narrative view of history but students need context for that narrative. It is a great read, and points out the details and background of many events that you don't often find in the stories of the "great men who built America" standard narrative. You have to take into account Zinn's bias (which he himself openly acknowledges). Are there any books you would recommend as a replacement? ...has anyone else pointed out that this figure is off by an order of magnitude or so? 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. Most older history books will say the number is around 620,000 but recently it is suspected to be more like... 1.1 million 850,000, The North having around 600,000. 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 … Retrouvez A People and a Nation: A History of the United States et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. Welcome to r/AskHistorians. I couldn't finish reading his stuff due to how frustrated I got with him. He did not welcome the Americas into the 'European enlightenment'. (killed/captured/wounded). Hundreds of famous people have listed A People’s History of the United States as one of their favorite books. 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. Understand that rule breaking comments get removed. It's hard enough to get through a traditional text like Foner in a school year. 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. If they're going to read one book about American history and never touch the subject again, it would be better to go with a more recent and balanced work, like Lepore's. The tragedy however, is that I only ever read it because I went to college. ISBN-13: 978-1285430843. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/december/wineburg-historiography-zinn-122012.html. [Howard Zinn] I would love other historians to discuss this here honestly. More can always be said, but while you wait for new answers, you may wish to read the FAQ section on Zinn's work. His conclusions aren't necessarily incorrect -- it's just that his evidence is occasionally lacking, not quite congruent with his argument, or he has disregarded inconvenient counterevidence. All recounting of history is going to have some degree of bias. I recommend you read this comment from /u/Freedmenspatrol that addresses some specific questions about the book, while also touching on more general criticisms. 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: ). So I feel like I want to defend Zinn a bit here. Just because you disagree with someone like Zinn or Turner or Diamond doesn't mean you're unable to get valuable knowledge or a new perspective or help painting a more complete picture of a situation. The evidence was shoddy and Arens rightly attacked it. ...and it feels a bit too impassioned for me. China & Taiwan | Mod. 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." And primary texts should be focused on more. Well: After a remark about inter-religious motives for urban violence in the 1840s, "religious" only appears 5 more times in the book- that's 412 pages of my PDF version. 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. Zinn's citations are absent or muddled in a single-page "bibliography." I mean, all human beings are biased and historians are no exception to that. I would strongly recommend 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. 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. In addition to RemindMeBot, consider using our Browser Extension, or getting the Weekly Roundup. In A People’s History of the United States, Zinn aims to write an account of American history from the perspective of persecuted, powerless, marginalized people, rather than the usual pantheon of heroes and elites. We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God 9. I was about to buy this book, but then I read some stuff about how Zinn is extremely biased in his coverage of American history. That's why it's been regarded as a college text. ISBN-10: 1285430840. A People's History of the United States: | | A People's History of the United States | | | ... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. Every day the amount of people learning that the “united states of America,” the representative Republic that it was, died when the Southern States abandoned Congress forever in 1861, is increasing. 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". 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. The book is still important now for that reason. I agree that Zinn's points should be included in any U.S. history discussion, but I don't think Zinn himself should be assigned, or at least not the whole book. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion So much completely ignored. I'm not trying to make some overtly liberal point here. When I first read this a year ago, in my freshman year at college, I was struck most notably with a vivid sense of indignation. Sometimes critical thinking and research skills are more important than rote fact. My APUS class had it and I think we read around 150 pages of it. Stanford argues pretty heavily against him. I am glad that Zinn's book got people thinking about this. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Philippine Studies | Mod. A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is a 2005 Harper Perennial Modern Classics publication. 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. They would make fine slaves... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we wish.'. American history is 250 years of millions of people; you can write a history of anything and provide ample evidence. Get this from a library! Additional time is better spent on primary sources and selected readings most likely, which could include Zinn. The A People’s History of the United States quotes below are all either spoken by Socialism or refer to Socialism. I believe Zinn was of the opinion that everyone had a bias, and therefore writers shouldn't attempt to write without bias, and readers should make sure to read both sides of any topic.