People s history united states kind revolution summary and

Summary Analysis The Founding Fathers won the Revolutionary War in large part because they used rhetoric to convince large numbers of working-class colonists to fight against Britain.

Summary Analysis The Founding Fathers won the Revolutionary War in large part because they used rhetoric to convince large numbers of working-class colonists to fight against Britain.

Active Themes Throughout the Revolutionary War, there continued to be conflicts between the rich and the poor in the American colonies. Some militia groups, furious with the wealthy colonists who claimed to support the Revolution but did not fight for it, staged mutinies.

In Trenton, New Jersey, George Washington ordered the execution of three militia leaders planning a mutiny. Few history textbooks talk about the colonists who refused to fight in the Revolutionary War, or who staged mutinies when they realized that the Revolutionary Army was no less tyrannical than the British government.

At a Glance

In this chapter, Zinn remedies some of these omissions. The aftermath of the Revolutionary War established a pattern that would continue throughout American history: With the end of the Revolutionary War, working-class colonists were able to claim new land in the west; however, Zinn suggests that these colonists were perhaps allowed to claim that land because of the benefits bestowed on elites by a working class population living between elite property and Indian lands.

The Revolutionary War was also a milestone for black slaves. Slaves fought in the war, usually on the American side. However, the economic structure of early American society, resting on slave labor, prevented almost all positive changes for African Americans.

Zinn is willing to credit the Revolutionary War with providing some minimal advantages for black Americans; nevertheless, as he makes very clear, the Revolutionary War did nothing to end the fundamental problems with black life in America. Thus, slavery continued for almost a century after the war.

Active Themes The Constitution is often called a work of genius. But other historians, such as Charles Beard, have argued that it represented a way for American elites to protect their own economic interests through a strong federal government.

Most—though not all—elites favored a strong government because they wanted a force to protect their property from potential uprisings.

A People's History of the United States Summary - initiativeblog.com

Infor example, the farmer Daniel Shays, who had fought in the Revolutionary War, mobilized other working-class veterans to protest the new American status quo. Active Themes The Constitution was ratified throughout the colonies because it appealed both to the wealthy and to the middle class.

Middle class merchants, farmers, and artisans were essentially nationalistic in their beliefs: Zinn argues, somewhat cursorily, that the Constitution was, above all, appealing for wealthy and middle-class people, not the working classes.

Active Themes Following the ratification of the Constitution, the first Congress of the United States passed the Bill of Rights, a series of amendments to the Constitution that seemed to protect personal freedoms.

However, it quickly became apparent that the new American government had the power to limit personal freedoms however it saw fit.

Inunder the John Adams administration, the federal government passed the Sedition Act, which made it a crime to say anything against the government. Active Themes Also in the early days of the United States the federal government proved itself to be as aggressive with taxation as Britain had been.

Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, formed a Bank of the United States and levied a series of taxes—including the Whiskey Tax, which hurt small farmers.

Hamilton personally led troops to enforce the tax and put down any potential rebellion among the farmers. The early days of the United States eerily parallel the final days of British rule.

Related Questions

Just like Great Britain in the s and 60s, the early U. Active Themes To this day, the Founding Fathers are often seen as wise men who wanted to maintain a healthy balance of power. Zinn concludes the chapter by offering some harsh truths about the Founding Fathers.

A Kind of Revolution. Retrieved November 26, A People’s History of the United States Summary SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Start studying Chapter 5 Zinn Notes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The entire Revolution was mainly the idea of the rich.

A People's History of the United States- Chapters 44 terms. Presidents. 12 terms. APUSH Zinn chapter 4.

What are the main points of argument raised by Howard Zinn in chapter 5? | eNotes

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A People’s History of the United States, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.

The American People The Establishment.

Summary I COLUMBUS, THE INDIANS, AND HUMAN PROGRESS A People's History of the United States is a book written by Howard Zinn, whose purpose is not to introduce someone to American History. He assumes his readers already know the basics.

Of course, many people do not. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Chapter 5: A Kind of Revolution. The American victory over the British army was made possible by the existence of an already- armed people. Just about every white male had a gun, and could shoot.

One would look, in examining the Revolution's effect on class relations, at what. A People's History of the United States is a non-fiction book by American historian and political scientist Howard Zinn. Chapter 5, "A Kind of Revolution" covers the war and resistance to participating in war, the effects on the Native American people, and the continued inequalities in the new United States.