Introduction
Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States is a revolutionary work on the subject of social history. A People’s History is recognized for its vibrant, straightforward writing style as well as its educational value. It narrates the story of America through the eyes and words of women, industrial workers, Black people, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrants. These are believed to be the People of America, as opposed to oppressing the Establishment of rich colonizers. Zinn narrates the history in a new way, voicing the acts of the People group by describing their contributions to socially meaningful events and highlighting their victories over the Establishment.
Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States
Zinn begins his work with the analysis of the existing literature and the predominant view of American history, gradually presenting the voices of the People’s group. For example, Zinn argues that the traditional history textbooks describe the American Revolutionary war in plain terms, assigning a prominent role to the Establishment (91). However, it is not usually mentioned that mutinies were staged by militia groups enraged by rich and powerful colonists who claimed to support the Revolution but did not share the ideas of their leaders (Zinn 93). Zin also points out that women were nearly nonexistent in civic spaces, and they remain largely invisible in early American history (113). However, many women were involved in the war against Britain during the Revolutionary War, forming patriotic societies, writing essays, and boycotting British goods. Although the Revolutionary principles of equality were not meant to apply mainly to women, confident leaders, such as Thomas Paine, advocated for equal rights for women (116). Thus, Zinn invokes the moments in American history that are usually missed, demonstrating the presence of the People.
The uprising and fight of the People group lead to some victories over the Establishment. For example, certain American academic institutions began enrolling women in the early nineteenth century, greatly accelerating the development of females’ greater involvement in public life (Zinn 123). Hence, women discovered methods to oppose sexism and fight not just for their side but also for the causes of those who were disadvantaged and abused in American culture. As such, Zinn emphasizes the example of “Amelia Bloomer [who] in 1851 suggested in her feminist publication that women wear a kind of short skirt and pants, to free themselves from the encumbrances of traditional dress” (119). Thus, at least some groups of American people began to realize and retain some power in the country.
However, the marginalization of the People group found ways to continue, so there were setbacks. For instance, following the Revolutionary War, Indian tribes, the most of which had enlisted on the British side, kept fighting against American colonists. After some time, several tribes reached peaceful treaties with Americans, yet the oppression continued. Jackson, the newly elected president, “encouraged white squatters to move into Indian lands, then told the Indians the government could not remove the whites and so they had better cede the lands or be wiped out” (Zinn 136). Thus, the Establishment still had much power despite the reforms in the American society and continued to subjugate the others.
Conclusion
To conclude, Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States is a highly important narrative about the most oppressed and, at the same time, empowered individuals in American society. The author covers the achievements of the People group by representing their actions during such an event as Revolutionary War and subsequent time. Yet, Zinn demonstrates how the fight of those individuals was counteracted by the Establishment with more power and wealth.
Work Cited
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. Reissue, Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2015.