His goal was simple: steal as much gold and wealth as possible in order to appease his employers in Spain. A further irony of European nations’ conquest of the New World is that, in almost all cases, the people of these nations didn’t become any wealthier: rulers became more powerful while the poorest people continued to starve. HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA: The United States was inhabited by semi-nomadic Indians at the time Christopher Columbus arrived in America in the late 15th century. Zinn compares these two models of civilization to question "the excuse of progress in the annihilation of races.". (including. Spanish royalty promised Columbus a new title and governing privileges of any lands he discovered—if he found gold. It is not a history of the United States but it is a series of contentious corrections to the history traditionally taught in American classrooms. It also introduces Zinn's vision and purpose for the book. To Noah, Georgia, Serena, Naushon, Will—and their generation . Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Chapter 1. The book is often recognized as one of the most accurate and valuable historical references in American history. Theologian Cotton Mather (1663–1728) says the dead Pequots "were brought down to hell." In A People’s History of the United States, Zinn aims to write an account of American history from the perspective of persecuted, powerless, marginalized people, rather than the usual pantheon of heroes and elites. He also demonstrates the role of historians and education in shaping historical memory. First, he tackles what he calls the myth of "national interest." Columbus exaggerated his report to the Spanish court, requesting reinforcements and saying the islands were full of gold. The tension between the Puritan settlers and the Pequot Indians led to a war in 1636. "A People's History of the United States Study Guide." Whenever historians write an account, they must choose which facts to emphasize. In his own writing, he expresses a great deal of awareness, and he catalogs behavior that is simply unfathomable. They had complex agriculture and architecture, peaceful relationships with one another, and a fundamentally moral communal system without private property. While Las Casas describes scenes of what Zinn calls "conquest, slavery, death," modern history books treat Columbus Day as a celebration. Returning to the 15th-century conquest of the Americas, Zinn describes how English and Spanish leaders conquered indigenous people in Mexico, Peru, and North America. A People's History of the United States is an attempt to balance the scales by writing about the parts of US history that aren't often covered in depth. Historical accounts and educational texts often treat genocide, mass murder, and other atrocities "as a deplorable but necessary price to pay for progress" in the past and the present. For instance, if nations don't recall the crimes of the past, they'll repeat these crimes in the future. Many Indians died from diseases spread by European settlers, such as smallpox. The ship they were in was called Saint Maria. The Arawaks' hospitality contrasted with European greed and profit hunger in the 15th century. Zinn is doing the same process of selection from a different point of view. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the territory was colonized by Europeans (Spanish, French, British, Swedish and Dutch). Noticing the gold ornaments in the Arawaks' ears, Columbus kidnapped several Arawaks and insisted they show him where the gold came from. In Course Hero. Spanish explorer Hernando Cortés (1485–1547) strategically murdered the Aztecs of Mexico. When readers see moments of compassion, cooperation, and success in American history, they can envision how to replicate these moments in the future. If so, what makes the new way better? Zinn wants to tell the story of the United States from the perspective of marginalized communities. Copyright © 2016. People who record history may do so to bear witness. Explorer Hernando Cortés would "paralyze the will of the population by a sudden frightful deed" to conquer a country. Instead, nations are full of people with competing interests and the powerful taking advantage of the powerless. Get help on 【 A People's History of the United States Chapter 3 Summary 】 on Graduateway Huge assortment of FREE essays & assignments The best writers! Laws of the land 16 terms. He points out that everyone is a victim of an unjust system, including the oppressors. A historian who believes America is a great nation, for instance, may pick details to fit this belief. There was nothing noble or enlightened about Columbus’s expeditions to the New World. The Indians were, arguably, culturally superior to the Europeans who conquered them over the course of the next five hundred years. 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