Howard Zinn Critique
A People’s History of the United States is a book that explores the history of the United States. Howard Zinn writes from an omniscient point of view, this includes the view of the European explorers, the Native Americans, and scholars who study the discovery of America. Zinn’s book isn’t an alternative history as some say, it is history told with excruciating details that allow for reasoning from bias and change the impression of readers, and something to learn off of when it comes to history in the making. Howard Zinn’s history shows an alternative point of view, but not an alternative history, compared to many historians. If many historians considered Columbus great, Zinn shows how he is not so great; if many historians say the Native
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Although Zinn’s view is different, it can’t be considered alternative history because the history is the same but Zinn decides to include many details and reasons that other historians have missed. In the first chapter of A People’s History of the United States, Zinn critiques Columbus’ expedition, arrival in America, encounter with the Native Americans, and treatment of the Natives. Zinn includes details of Columbus’ report to Spain such as “The Indians… ‘are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone’… he would bring them from his next voyage ‘as much gold as they need … and as many slaves as they ask.’… ‘Thus the eternal God, our Lord, gives victory to those who follow his way over apparent impossibilities.’ ”(Zinn, 5). Zinn acknowledges that Columbus said exactly this in his report, proving that A People’s History of the United States isn’t any sort of alternative history. Zinn also includes important details and excerpt like “If you were a colonist, you
Although Zinn’s view is different, it can’t be considered alternative history because the history is the same but Zinn decides to include many details and reasons that other historians have missed. In the first chapter of A People’s History of the United States, Zinn critiques Columbus’ expedition, arrival in America, encounter with the Native Americans, and treatment of the Natives. Zinn includes details of Columbus’ report to Spain such as “The Indians… ‘are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone’… he would bring them from his next voyage ‘as much gold as they need … and as many slaves as they ask.’… ‘Thus the eternal God, our Lord, gives victory to those who follow his way over apparent impossibilities.’ ”(Zinn, 5). Zinn acknowledges that Columbus said exactly this in his report, proving that A People’s History of the United States isn’t any sort of alternative history. Zinn also includes important details and excerpt like “If you were a colonist, you