A People's History of the U.S. by Howard Zinn: Thesis

9/12/2014

When reading through the first chapter of his book, which lines do you think best explain or express Howard Zinn’s central thesis for A People’s History of the Untied States? (Please note the page and paragraph numbers)
Paraphrase his thesis in your own words.
What is your opinion on his thesis? For example: Does his thesis have merit? Do you agree or disagree with it and why? Is this thesis different from other historians and if so, how? Please explain your reasoning behind all responses.

Extra credit awarded to those who respond to each others posts regarding question 3.

SM (PD. 5)

9/15/2014 01:25:40 am

When reading through A People's History of The United States by Howard Zinn, his thesis that he writes in chapter 1 is that in telling history we must not accuse, judge, condemn Columbus. It is too late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But the easy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay for progress(p. 9). Howard Zinn makes a neutral statement on his thesis in his own point of view. I do agree with him. In history we must learn all the facts even if they condemn a certain symbolic person, a thing or a nation. Omission is the reason for lots of atrocities and I do agree with Zinn when he says we shouldn't omit details from history as they cause negative effects in the long run. But I do agree that there it is too late to condemn Columbus for the mass murder he was partially responsible for, but again I think we should read and learn all facts because facts are important as they tell the whole story.

sabostian

9/15/2014 01:57:21 am

In a people history of the united states by howard zinn his thesis from page 8 to 11 talking about his point of view of the victims also there tears and anger . I agree cause those people felt a lot of pain.its different from other historians cause they dont show there point of view only facts.

Cristobal Melendez link

9/15/2014 01:46:50 am

Why you skipping SM.

Ashly Guzman Brito

9/15/2014 01:52:22 am

Howard Zinn's thesis in "A Peoples History of The United States" is best explained in page 9 paragraphs
1-2 "One can lie outright about the past. Or one can omit facts which might lead to unacceptable
conclusions. Morison does neither. He refuses to lie about Columbus. He does not omit the
story of mass murder; indeed he describes it with the harshest word one can use: genocide.
But he does something else-he mentions the truth quickly and goes on to other things more
important to him…[he takes the facts], and then to bury them in a mass of other information is to say to
the reader with a certain infectious calm: yes, mass murder took place, but it's not that important-it
should weigh very little in our final judgments; it should affect very little what we do in the world."
based mainly on how history is interpreted by historians and how this can affect our understanding of
history. He goes on to speak more of how historians works are very biased and hide important facts
mainly because they weren't there, they only studied what happened, they didn't live it. I believe his thesis is more than accurate it explains basic logic for example why would you ask a farmer from Iowa how devastating was 9/11 on the state of New York. His thesis is different from other historians because these aren't his words being emphasized, this isn't his knowledge of our history these are actual people who actually lived in those time periods and how different events affected them as individuals.

Mendel

9/15/2014 01:57:34 am

I believe that his general thesis is based in page 8 where Zinn states that Columbus was a mass murderer who unknowingly caused genocide and paved the way for more deaths to occur.(pg.8).Nevertheless,we should not accuse or judge Columbus for his actions Rather it was necessary for progress of America to occur (pg.9) I believe that his thesis has much merit and i also agree that this thesis is accurate because of the fact that America would not have been the country it is today had it not been for the sacrifices of lives and the findings of America by people such as Columbus.

ricardo

9/15/2014 02:01:53 am

ooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Angelo Lemus Phd. Inc. Ltd. (Bass God)

9/15/2014 09:12:50 am

During my reading of A People’s History Of The United States Howard Zinn expressed a thesis i came across a few lines that, I believe, best describes Zinn’s thesis; “My point is not that we must, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It is too late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality.” basicly what his statement is say is that going back and analysing what european explorers did to in native groups of north america is too late and would accomplish nothing in todays context. I would have to agree with what Howard Zinn is saying, not because it isn't important, but because it would in fact accomplish nothing that will substantially change the way we go about learning history, and nothing we do know can changed what happened over 600 years ago...

Kevin

9/15/2014 11:16:39 am

Howard Zinn's uses a thesis revolving around moving forward instead of bashing Columbus for what he did in his past. Columbus didn't initially plan to kill off the residents of the " New World ", he wished to conquer the land and seemed to believe abusing and killing off the residents was the way to go in executing his plan. We disagree with Columbus' decision to kill off those who wanted to help him but we don't realize that we are able to live where and the way we do today because of his execution. I'm not saying that it was necessary but it was the route he chose and there is nothing we can do to change it.

Washington

9/15/2014 02:46:25 pm

Howard ZInn says my point is not that we must, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus absentia. I think this sentence best explains his thesis to me because it opens up about Columbus. Basically the thesis means that we must not accuse, judge, and condemn Columbus absence. Howard Zinn didn't mean to not condemn Columbus as avery rude person using the Indians as slaves for one. Bringing them on the ship letting them die because of no treatment, using the slaves to find gold for Columbus and having them carry him in a hammock. After all the Indians did for was good to Columbus, they showed hospitality and traded but in the end Columbus stabbed them in the back with his ruthless actions.

Mian Ahmed

9/21/2014 11:00:59 am

Howard Zinn unequivocally mentioned his thesis regarding first chapter in several places in his book "A people's history of the United States". His thesis is that,"I will try not to overlook the cruelties that victims inflict on one another as they are jammed together in the boxcars of the system, I don't want to romanticize them, But i do remember a statement i once read:The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you do not listen to it, you will never know what justice is"(p.10). This statement seems clear his neutrality on his thesis in his own perspective. I do disagree with his thesis. He says the cry of the poor is not always just that means sometimes slaughtering poor people might be justifiably. To me killing poor people is never just and unjustifiable.

Shadia Islam

9/26/2014 06:53:03 am

When I was reading A peoples history of the united states by Howard Zinn, the thesis that really interested me in chapter one is when Columbus says page 18 paragraph 1 lines 1 and two"how certain are we that what was destroyed was inferior?" I agree with him because you cant be sure over everything there is always something behind everything that takes place. Columbus was just confused as who is all those people who came out the beach and swam to bring presents to Columbus and his crews who watched cortes and pizarro ride through the countryside who peered out of the first white settlers of Virginia and Massachusetts. Columbus had called them Indians.

Israel Abraham

6/17/2018 03:46:06 pm

Therefore his thesis is the firsthand expression of history through the perspectives of the minor, marginalised groups, including the immoral, and inhumane acts perpetrated in those timelines that is insignificant, or in contrarium to the subjective narrations by History books, which depicts the past only from the viewpoint of the victors.

A People's History of the U.S. by Howard Zinn: Thesis

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