Howard Zinn Chapter 4
Zinn Chapter 4: Tyranny is Tyranny
Main ideas:
• By 1760, the American colonies had undergone 18 different types of rebellions all aimed at overthrowing colonial governments. By the 1760’s the colonies had birthed capable and educated leaders, leaders that would direct the rebellious energy coming from the colonists towards the British.
• After the French and Indian war was over, the English were more in need of the monetary value that colonies provided, and the colonies were less in need of English rule, the elements for conflict amongst American colonies and England were present.
• Wealth was not evenly distributed amongst the people in colonies and there were negative feelings towards the upper class coming from the lower middle classes, this would cause lower classes to try to side with the British. When the colonist leaders realized this, they began to adopt policies that would gain the support of poorer economic classes.
• England tried to enforce their acts and laws upon a colony that had already established a sense of independence and they would only further the gap by trying to enforce laws that would tax already angered colonists.
Quotes:
• “When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius, and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries.” Zinn is referring to the fact that the American revolution was no mistake, the important people discovered that by making a ‘united states ‘ they could ultimately take land, power, and political power from British favorites.
• The rich, it turned out, could avoid the draft by paying for substitutes; the poor had to serve' This led to rioting, and shouting: "Tyranny is Tyranny let it come from whom it may." Regardless of what was happening in the colonies or the tension amongst the different economic classes, the rich were still using to money to act as if they were superior .
Questions:
• Had the events that created tension between
Main ideas:
• By 1760, the American colonies had undergone 18 different types of rebellions all aimed at overthrowing colonial governments. By the 1760’s the colonies had birthed capable and educated leaders, leaders that would direct the rebellious energy coming from the colonists towards the British.
• After the French and Indian war was over, the English were more in need of the monetary value that colonies provided, and the colonies were less in need of English rule, the elements for conflict amongst American colonies and England were present.
• Wealth was not evenly distributed amongst the people in colonies and there were negative feelings towards the upper class coming from the lower middle classes, this would cause lower classes to try to side with the British. When the colonist leaders realized this, they began to adopt policies that would gain the support of poorer economic classes.
• England tried to enforce their acts and laws upon a colony that had already established a sense of independence and they would only further the gap by trying to enforce laws that would tax already angered colonists.
Quotes:
• “When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius, and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries.” Zinn is referring to the fact that the American revolution was no mistake, the important people discovered that by making a ‘united states ‘ they could ultimately take land, power, and political power from British favorites.
• The rich, it turned out, could avoid the draft by paying for substitutes; the poor had to serve' This led to rioting, and shouting: "Tyranny is Tyranny let it come from whom it may." Regardless of what was happening in the colonies or the tension amongst the different economic classes, the rich were still using to money to act as if they were superior .
Questions:
• Had the events that created tension between