A People's History of the United States
The book chronicles US history from the perspective of ordinary people rather than a traditional narrative focusing on politicians and leaders. It begins with Columbus's arrival in the Americas and continues through to the late 20th century, highlighting events such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I and II, and the Vietnam War. The author emphasizes the struggles of marginalized groups including Native Americans, African Americans, women, and laborers, arguing that their experiences have been consistently overlooked or distorted in traditional histories.
By Howard Zinn · First published 1980 · Genre: Non-fiction, History, Political · 24 chapters · 308,968 words
First lines
Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto the island's beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange big boat. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought them food, water, gifts. He later wrote of this in his log:
What this Textopian page supports
A People's History of the United States is listed on Textopian as a novel by Howard Zinn, dated 1980 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Howard Zinn
- Date: 1980 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Non-fiction, History, Political, Social Commentary, Educational
- Length: 308,968 words
- Structure: 24 chapters, 3,957 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The American Indian by James Baldwin
- The Last Days Of John Brown by Henry David Thoreau
- Thoughts On Slavery And Cheap Sugar by James Ewing Ritchie
- Lynch Law In Georgia by Ida B. Wells Barnett
- The Black Revolution by Malcolm X.
- The Indian Question by John Greenleaf Whittier
Genres
- Non-fiction — The book presents a factual account of American history from the perspective of marginalized groups.
- History — It provides a historical narrative focusing on events and figures often overlooked in traditional histories.
- Political — The book explores political themes and critiques power structures in the United States.
- Social Commentary — It offers commentary on social issues and the impact of historical events on various social groups.
Tags
Historical Nonfiction · American History · Leftist Perspective · Critical Theory · Marxist Analysis · Social Justice · Activism · Revolutionary Politics · Empire Critique · Colonialism · Imperialism · Native American Studies
Contents
- Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress
- Drawing the Color Line
- Persons of Mean and Vile Condition
- Tyranny is Tyranny
- A Kind of Revolution
- The Intimately Oppressed
- As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs
- We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God
- Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom
- The other Civil War
- Robber Barons and Rebels
- The Empire and the People
- The Socialist Challenge
- War is the Health of the State
- Self-Help in Hard Times
- A People's War?
- Or does it Explode?
- The Impossible Victory: Vietnam
- Surprises
- The Seventies: under Control?
- Carter-Reagan-Bush: the Bipartisan Consensus
- The Unreported Resistance
- The Clinton Presidency and the Crisis of Democracy
- The Coming Revolt of the Guards