A People's History of the United States 1492 to Present

Great book! Show what you should eat to help yourself. Everyone should read this book.

A People‘s History of the United States is the classic work by Professor Howard Zinn. Professor Zinn’s main thesis is that the United States was founded by rich, white males for their own benefit and they have discriminated against the poor, people of color and others for their own gain, often using violence in the process. It is a one-sided presentation that shows that the ideals that this country is presumed to stand for were no more than the attempt of the rich to rationalize their greed largely ignores the undeniable progress that has been made toward a fair and just society. At the same time it is a vitally important book because it tells a story that is largely ignored in establishment history books and in the words of American leaders. Professor Zinn admits these points and states this reason for his writing the book. He cites the opening words of the Constitution ( We the people‘) as an example. In fact he says, this document was written by 55 rich white men to create a country with a strong central government from which they would benefit. George Washington, he notes, was the richest man in America and Thomas Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves. Facts, he says, represent a judgment and the facts presented in standard American history books are chosen selectively to create an image of the United States as a fair and just society when in fact it has never been so.

Professor Zinn gives numerous examples throughout the book of the discrimination and violence people have faced, starting with the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Columbus is often portrayed as an intrepid explorer when in fact his objective was to gain riches and he enslaved the natives he found. The story of Native Americans, Africans who were brought to this country as slaves, immigrants, workers and others is told from their perspective. Numerous strikes and rebellions are detailed as well as opposition to America’s wars, many of which were based on lies and for nationalistic purposes. He provides numerous quotations and direct statements to prove his argument.

I rate the book at five stars and as a must read book for every person who wants to know the truth about the United States. While there has been progress since the days of stealing land from the natives and enslaving Africans, America still remains an unequal place where one percent of the population owns some 33 percent of the resources, millions of children go hungry every day, the streets of cities are lined with the homeless, health insurance is difficult to acquire, white male police officers kill black males with seeming impunity and the American response to violence, domestically as well as internationally, is more violence. Professor Zinn has provided a sobering account of what America has been and continues to be despite the rhetoric of politicians and the story told by establishment history books.

Perhaps the most significant, insightful, and honest American history book ever written.

Take any issue of the day such as the war in Ukraine, the January 6 attack on the capital, the FBI exercising a search warrant on the home of former President Trump, climate change, economic ups and downs, the George Floyd protests, BLM, Proud Boys, etc. Can you come up with multiple perspectives on each of those stories? Sure you could and each would have some validity whether you agree or not. If you can't, your sources for info are likely an echo chamber, and your mind narrowed as result. You could go to Fox News, CNN, network news, digital news sources, social media, individuals who were involved, and court and congressional records in most cases. Through these multiple sources, you would come away with very different perspectives on the same issue. You could make the effort to meld these sources into a multi-faceted, balanced view while still concluding the impetus of the issue, the actions taken, the outcome, and the impact on the trajectory of our country. But, it seems most of us are too lazy to expose ourselves to various sources and perspectives. We have become fanboys of a particular point of view, media outlet, or even personalities, and we stop our fact-finding there. If you are such a fanboy, Zinn's book will give you anxiety, but just let it be and read on.

Conservatives are threatened today because they are having to contemplate THE REALITY that our history is more nuanced and in some cases profoundly different than the one we were all spoonfed and bought hok-line-and-sinker as the infallible history of our country. If as is said the victors write history, Zinn's book is about the story of our history from other than the victors. It is so laden with references of all sorts, it cannot be claimed Zinn does not use an abundance of references from all sorts of people both the powerful and the oppressed. In fact, sources are so much a part of the text that it can be difficult to get through the book. Does Zinn likely have a bias given his political activity during his life? Absolutely! But isn't that the case for every historian and journalist? It is up to the reader to be wary of bias and take what they will from the telling. However, it is inescapable that in the reading you will be exposed to perspectives you never knew existed.

Bias or not, this book will surely leave you questioning how we have told ourselves, or how we have been told, our history. For old farts like me who were raised in an era with much more limited access to sources to gain a well-rounded version of history, be mindful that you may be criticizing a book because it is presenting a side of history to which you may have had little to no exposure. This does not mean it is an invalid telling. It may mean that you have more to learn than you thought. Learning comes from tension. Try not to react to the tension you feel as you consider whether the history you were taught was any more fully true than the history you will read in Zinn's book.

If you want to understand how those in power have always manipulated those of us not in power, conditioning us to hate other groups, conditioning us to obey them and believe that makes us patriotic, and all the while fund wars so they can sell more weapons and obtain more resources read this. If you would rather believe the rhetoric you have always been told and keep serving the man don‘t bother.

Be prepared, though, if you read. This will destroy the idealistic history you have been taught and you will find it a hard sell to call nearly any American president great.