The People's Perspective

For my non-fiction book, I am currently reading A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Zinn describes himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist." The book takes multiple topics and issues from American history, from Christopher Columbus to the 21st century and the War on Terrorism. As the "People" in the title suggests, he portrays history from the perspective of the common people, not the elite or privileged. He attempts to exploit the exploitation of commoners from the elite in American society. He tackles sexism, racism, social and class dividers, native American treatment, expansionist wars, slavery, industry and corporations, the American Empire, and the socialist threat in the Cold War

In this he seems to have one point he attempts to get across. The words "We the People" in the United States Constitution are not true. He explains that whether Democrat or Republican, the government is still run by powerful and elite politicians who do not represent the common people of the United States and constantly favor the elite, wealthy, and privileged.

This is an extremely interesting book written by a left-wing "radical" who portrays a unique perspective of American history. He points out that we tend to look at the good things of our history. Most believe the American Revolution and Civil War were "good" and other events that contemporary Americans praise. He does this very lucidly with details, logic and reasons behind people's actions, their true motivation, and the effects and consequences of different topics in American history, creating a strong argument that most of our history as Americans is not glorious, but filled with unseen motivation, reasoning, and with strong consequences for the people.

The book is clearly written in chronological order and is a great read for anyone interested in a not-so-positive view of our nation's past. It is very interesting to read about forgotten topics and events that do not put our country in a positive light. It is very thought-provoking about our future as a country and the role the government and people play in it. Altogether, our nation does have many good and beneficial things in our history. However, Zinn magnifies the things we as a country should not be very proud of. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in American history and especially things overlooked in our textbooks and curriculum.