Howard Zinn

A People's History of the United States

1. IDEA 1

   History seen from the bottom up

   Zinn retells American history from the point of view of ordinary people, rather than presidents and generals. He focuses on workers, enslaved people, Native Americans, women and others whose struggles are often left out of textbooks.

2. IDEA 2

   Columbus brought suffering

   Zinn begins with Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean, describing the enslavement and destruction of the Arawak people. He challenges the heroic image of Columbus. Zinn wants readers to ask whose version of history is usually told.

3. IDEA 3

   Slavery was resisted

   Zinn describes the brutality of slavery and the many ways enslaved people resisted, from rebellions to escapes. He argues that resistance shaped history. He wants readers to see enslaved people as actors in history, not only as victims.

All 8 ideas from A People's History of the United States →