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A People’s History of the United States

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Brief Summary

A People’s History of the United States reframes the American story from below. Instead of glorifying presidents and wars as engines of progress, Zinn highlights those who worked, suffered, resisted, and often died anonymously while shaping the nation’s reality. The book argues that freedom was rarely granted from above—it was pushed upward through protest, rebellion, strikes, and continued demand for justice. American history is therefore not a straight march toward equality, but an ongoing struggle in which gains are often temporary, contested, or incomplete. Understanding the past requires recognizing exploitation alongside achievement, and acknowledging that progress happens when ordinary people organize to challenge power.

About the Author

Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was a historian, teacher, and activist. Growing up in a working-class family, he served in WWII, later becoming critical of war after witnessing devastation firsthand. He earned a doctorate in history and taught at Spelman College, where he supported the Civil Rights Movement and was dismissed for standing with student activists. Zinn later taught at Boston University and wrote widely about inequality, war, and grassroots resistance. His most influential work, A People’s History of the United States, became a landmark text offering an alternative vision of America—one that honors struggle, exposes injustice, and believes ordinary people have the power to change history.

Topics

Politics

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