Citizendia

Howard Zinn
Image:Zinn.jpg
Howard Zinn
Born August 24, 1922 (1922-08-24) (age 85)
Brooklyn, New York
Occupation Professor, Historian, Playwright
Spouse Roslyn Zinn

Howard Zinn (born August 24, 1922) is an American historian, political scientist, social critic, activist and playwright, best known as author of the bestseller[1] A People's History of the United States. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it Political science is a branch of Social sciences that deals with the theory and practice of Politics and the description and analysis of Political systems Social criticism analyzes Social structures which are seen as flawed and aims at practical solutions by specific measures radical Reform or even Revolutionary A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. A bestseller is a Book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade A People's History of the United States is a 1980 Nonfiction book by American Historian and Political scientist Howard Zinn

Zinn has been active in the Civil Rights and anti-war movements in the United States. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African A peace movement is a Social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or [2]

The author of some 20 books, Zinn is currently Professor Emeritus in the Political Science Department at Boston University. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. He lives in the Auburndale neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts. Auburndale is one of the 13 Villages of Newton Massachusetts. The City of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is an important residential Suburb of Boston, which abuts it on the east His wife, the artist Roslyn Zinn died[3] May 14, 2008 at home. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common They were married for 64 years. The couple have two children, Myla and Jeff, and five grandchildren. Both artist and editor, Roslyn had a role in editing all of Zinn's books and many of his articles. [4]

Contents

Military Service

Education

Career

Civil Rights movement

In 1956, Zinn was appointed chairman of the department of history and social sciences at Spelman College, where he participated in the Civil Rights movement. The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century The University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna UNIBO) is one of the oldest continually operating degree-granting universities in the world Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta Georgia. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African For example, Zinn lobbied with historian August Meier [5] "to end the practice of the Southern Historical Association of holding meetings at segregated hotels. [6]

At Spelman, Zinn served as an adviser to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and, in 1964, later wrote the book SNCC: The New Abolitionists. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced "snick" was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement

At Spelman, Zinn collaborated with historian Staughton Lynd and mentored young student activists, among them writer Alice Walker and Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Staughton Lynd (born November 22, 1929) is an American Conscientious objector, peace activist and civil Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9 1944 is an American Author, self-declared Feminist and Womanist - the latter a term she herself Marian Wright Edelman (born June 6, 1939, in Bennettsville South Carolina) is an American Activist for the rights of children The Children's Defense Fund is a child advocacy and research group founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. In a journal article, Edelman discusses Zinn as major influence in her life and she tells of his accompanying students to a sit-in at the segregated white section of the Georgia state legislature. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule [7]

Although Zinn was a tenured professor, he was dismissed, in June 1963, after siding with students in their desire to challenge Spelman's traditional emphasis of turning out "young ladies" when, as Zinn described in an article in The Nation, Spelman students were likely to be found on the picket line, or in jail for participating in the greater effort to break down segregation in public places in Atlanta. This article is about the US Publication. For other newspapers magazines and alternate uses by the same name see The Nation (disambiguation. Zinn's years at Spelman are recounted in his autobiography You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times. His seven years at Spelman College, Zinn said, "are probably the most interesting, exciting, most educational years for me. I learned more from my students than my students learned from me. "[8]

While at Spelman, Zinn wrote that he observed 30 violations of the First and Fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution in Albany, Georgia, including the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and equal protection of the laws. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Albany is a city in and the County seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the Freedom of association, is the Individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall… deny to any person In an article on the civil rights movement in Albany, Zinn describes the people who participated in the Freedom Rides to end segregation, and of the reluctance of President John F. Kennedy to enforce the law. Freedom Rider is also a song by Traffic and later Rascal Flatts Civil Rights activists called Freedom Riders rode in interstate buses John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of [9] Zinn has also pointed out that the Justice Department under Robert F. Kennedy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation headed by J. Edgar Hoover, did little to nothing to stop the segregationists from brutalizing civil rights workers. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20 1925 – June 6 1968 also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Postnominal initials [10]

Zinn wrote frequently about the struggle for civil rights, both as a participant and historian[11] and in 1960-61, he took a year off from teaching to write SNCC: The New Abolitionists and The Southern Mystique. [12] In his book on SNCC, Zinn describes how the sit-ins against segregation were initiated by students and, in that sense, independent of the older, more established civil rights organizations.

He returned to Spelman in 2005 to give the commencement address. [13] His speech "Against Discouragement,"[14] is available online at numerous sources.

Anti-war efforts

Fresh from writing two books about his research, observations about and participation in the Civil Rights movement in the South, Zinn accepted a position in the political science department at Boston University in 1964. His classes in civil liberties were among the most popular classes offered at BU with as many as 400 students subscribing each semester to the non-required class. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. He taught at BU for 24 years and retired in 1988. Zinn wrote one of the earliest books calling for the U. S. withdrawal from its war in Viet Nam. VietNam: The Logic of Withdrawal was published by Beacon Press in 1967 after articles that would later form the basis for the book had appeared first in Commonweal, The Nation, The Register-Leader, and Ramparts.

Zinn eagerly joined the Army Air Force during World War II to fight fascism, and he bombed targets in Berlin, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic [15] Zinn's anti-war stance was, in part, informed by his own experiences in the military. In April, 1945, he participated in one of the first military uses of napalm, which took place in Royan, France. Napalm is the name given to any of a number of Flammable Liquids used in Warfare often jellied Gasoline. Royan ( Roeyan in the Saintongese language) is a commune in the Charente-Maritime département, in south- western This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. [16]

2nd Lieut. Howard Zinn, bombardier, Army Air Force in England, 1945.
2nd Lieut. Howard Zinn, bombardier, Army Air Force in England, 1945.

The bombings were aimed at German soldiers who were, in Zinn's words, hiding and waiting out the closing days of the war. The attacks killed not only the German soldiers but also French civilians. Nine years later, Zinn visited Royan to examine documents and interview residents. In his books, The Politics of History and The Zinn Reader, he described how the bombing was ordered at the war's end by decision-makers most probably motivated by the desire for career advancement rather than for legitimate military objectives.

Zinn said his experience as a bombardier, combined with his research into the reasons for and effects of the bombing of Royan, sensitized him to the ethical dilemmas faced by G.I.s during wartime. For other uses of GI see GI GI or GI is a term describing members of the U [17] Zinn questioned the justifications for military operations inflicting civilian casualties in the Allied bombing of cities such as Dresden, Royan, Tokyo, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, Hanoi during the U. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam S. war in Vietnam, and Baghdad during the U. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous S. war in Iraq. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. In his pamphlet "Hiroshima: Breaking the Silence", Zinn laid out the case against targeting civilians. [18]

Vietnam

Zinn's diplomatic visit to Hanoi with Rev. Daniel Berrigan, during the Tet Offensive in January 1968, resulted in the return of three American airmen, the first American POWs released by the North Vietnamese since the U. Daniel Berrigan, SJ (born May 9, 1921) is a poet American Peace activist, and Roman Catholic Priest. S. bombing of that nation had begun. The event was widely reported in the news media and discussed in a variety of books including Who Spoke Up? American Protest Against the War in Vietnam 1963-1975 by Nancy Zaroulis and Gerald Sullivan [19]. Zinn remained friends and allies with the brothers Dan and Philip over the years. Philip Berrigan ( October 5, 1923 – December 6, 2002) was an internationally renowned American Peace activist,

Daniel Ellsberg, a former RAND consultant who had secretly copied The Pentagon Papers, which described internal planning and policy decisions of the United States in the Vietnam War, gave a copy of them to Howard and Roslyn Zinn. Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7 1931 is a former American military Analyst employed by the RAND Corporation who precipitated a national political controversy The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis The Pentagon Papers is the popular name for a 14000-page top-secret United States government report about the history of the Government's internal planning and policy [20] Along with Noam Chomsky, Zinn edited and annotated the copy of The Pentagon Papers that Ellsberg entrusted to him. Avram Noam Chomsky (noʊm ˈtʃɑmski born December 7 1928 is an American linguist, Philosopher, cognitive scientist, Political Zinn's longtime publisher, Beacon Press, published what has come to be known as the Senator Mike Gravel edition of The Pentagon Papers, four volumes plus a fifth volume with analysis by Chomsky and Zinn. Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from Later, when their granddaughter worked to improve conditions for janitors at Wesleyan, the couple supported the effort. [21]

At Ellsberg's criminal trial for theft, conspiracy, and espionage in connection with the publication of the Pentagon Papers by The New York Times, defense attorneys called Zinn as an expert witness to explain to the jury the history of U. S. involvement in Vietnam from World War II to 1963. Zinn discussed that history for several hours, later reflecting on his time before the jury. "I explained there was nothing in the papers of military significance that could be used to harm the defense of the United States, that the information in them was simply embarrassing to our government because what was revealed, in the government's own interoffice memos, was how it had lied to the American public. The secrets disclosed in the Pentagon Papers might embarrass politicians, might hurt the profits of corporations wanting tin, rubber, oil, in far-off places. But this was not the same as hurting the nation, the people," Zinn wrote in his autobiography. Most of the jurors later said they voted for acquittal. [p. 161] However, the federal judge dismissed the case on the grounds it had been tainted by the burglary by President Richard M. Nixon's administration of the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist.

When secretaries struck at BU, Zinn and Dr. Murray Levin and Frances Fox Piven refused[22] to cross the picket line, and instead, taught classes off campus. Frances Fox Piven, born in Calgary Alberta, Canada in 1932 is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology at The Graduate Center Zinn's testimony as to the motivation for government secrecy was confirmed in 1989 by Erwin Griswold, who as U. S. solicitor general during the Nixon administration, prosecuted The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971. [23] Griswold persuaded three Supreme Court justices to vote to stop The New York Times from continuing to publish the Pentagon Papers, an order known as "prior restraint" that has been held to be illegal under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The papers were simultaneously published in The Washington Post, effectively nulling the effect of the prior restraint order. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D In 1989, Griswold admitted there was no national security damage from publication of the papers[24]In a column in the Washington Post, Griswold wrote: "It quickly becomes apparent to any person who has considerable experience with classified material that there is massive over classification and that the principal concern of the classifiers is not with national security, but with governmental embarrassment of one sort or another. " Zinn supported the G. I. antiwar movement during the U. S. war in Vietnam. In the 2001 film Unfinished Symphony, Zinn provides historical context for the 1971 antiwar march by Vietnam Veterans against the War. Unfinished Symphony is a 59-minute documentary film about a protest against the Vietnam War divided into three sections mirroring the movements of Henryk Vietnam Veterans Against the War ( VVAW) is a tax-exempt Non-profit organization and Corporation, originally created to oppose the Vietnam War The marchers traveled from Lexington, Massachusetts, to Bunker Hill, "which retraced Paul Revere's ride of 1775 and ended in the massive arrest of 410 veterans and civilians by the Lexington police. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Paul Revere (bap December 22, 1734 ( OS) / January 1 1735 (NS &ndash May 10, 1818) was an American Silversmith " The film depicts "scenes from the 1971 [25], during which former G. I. s testified about atrocities" they either participated in or witnessed in Vietnam. [26]

Iraq

Zinn opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and has written several books about it. He asserts that the U. S. will end its war with, and occupation of, Iraq when resistance within the military increases, in the same way resistance within the military contributed to ending the U. S. war in Vietnam. He compares the demand by a growing number of contemporary U. S. military families to end the war in Iraq to the parallel "in the Confederacy in the Civil War, when the wives of soldiers rioted because their husbands were dying and the plantation owners were profiting from the sale of cotton, refusing to grow grains for civilians to eat. " [27] Zinn argued that "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people for a purpose which is unattainable. "[28]

Jean-Christophe Agnew, Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University,[3] told the Yale Daily News in May 2007 that Zinn’s historical work is "highly influential and widely used". The Yale Daily News is a Newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven Connecticut since January 28, 1878 [29] He observed that it is not unusual for prominent professors such as Zinn to weigh in on current events, citing a resolution opposing the war in Iraq that was recently ratified by the American Historical Association. The American Historical Association ( AHA) is the oldest and largest society of Historians and Teachers of History in the United States [30] Agnew added, “In these moments of crisis, when the country is split — so historians are split. ”[31]

A People's History

Main article: A People's History of the United States

As a historian, Zinn came to believe that the point of view expressed in traditional history books was often limited. A People's History of the United States is a 1980 Nonfiction book by American Historian and Political scientist Howard Zinn He wrote a history textbook, A People's History of the United States with the goal to provide other perspectives of American history. The textbook depicts the struggles of Native Americans against European and U. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States S. conquest and expansion, slaves against slavery, unionists and other workers against capitalists, women against patriarchy, and African-Americans for civil rights. Patriarchy is the structuring of Society on the basis of Family units where fathers have primary responsibility for the welfare of hence authority over

In the years since the first edition of A People's History was published in 1980, it has been used as an alternative to standard textbooks in many high school and college history courses, and is one of the most widely known examples of critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach which attempts to help students question and challenge Domination, and the beliefs and practices that dominate According to the New York Times Book Review it "routinely sells more than 100,000 copies a year". The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed [32]

In the spring of 2003, to commemorate the sale of the millionth copy of A People's History, a dramatic reading was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The 92nd Street Y is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The reading featured Danny Glover, Andre Gregory, James Earl Jones, actress Myla Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, Alfre Woodard, Harris Yulin, Jeff Zinn, producing artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater [4], and Howard Zinn as narrator. Danny Lebern Glover (born July 22 1946 is an American Actor, Film director, and Political activist. Andre Gregory (born May 11, 1934) is an American Theatre director and Actor. James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American Actor of Film and stage well known for his deep basso Marisa Tomei (born December 4 1964 is a American Actress of stage and screen. Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9 1944 is an American Author, self-declared Feminist and Womanist - the latter a term she herself Alfre Ette Woodard (born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American Actor who has appeared in dozens of Hollywood and television films The event aired on Democracy Now!, and was hosted by Amy Goodman, and is online at Democracy Now The program was also released as a book and CD under the title, The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known. Amy Goodman (born April 13 1957 in Bay Shore / New York) is an American broadcast journalist, Syndicated columnist and Author

Interwoven with commentary by Zinn, both the book and the dramatic reading upon which the newer book is based, includes passages from Zinn's research in A People's History of the United States on Christopher Columbus on the Arawaks; Plough Jogger, a farmer and participant in Shays' Rebellion; Harriet Hanson, a Lowell mill worker; Frederick Douglass; Mark Twain; Mother Jones; Emma Goldman; Helen Keller; Eugene V. Debs; Langston Hughes; Genova Johnson Dollinger on a sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint, Michigan; an interrogation from a 1953 HUAC hearing; Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper and member of the Freedom Democratic Party; Malcolm X; and James Lawrence Harrington, a Gulf War resister, among others. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Central and Western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787 Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14 1818 February 20 1895 was an American abolitionist, editor, Orator Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist Mary Harris Jones ( May 1, 1830 or August 1, 1837 – November 30, 1930) better known as Mother Jones, born in Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches Helen Adams Keller (June 27 1880 – June 1 1968 was an American Author, Activist and lecturer Eugene Victor Debs (November 5 1855 &ndash October 20 1926 was an American union leader one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Langston Hughes (February 1 1902 &ndash May 22 1967 was an American Poet, Novelist Playwright, Short story writer and Columnist A sit-down strike is a form of Civil disobedience in which an organized group of workers usually employed at a factory or other centralized location take possession of General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The House Committee on Un-American Activities ( HUAC or HCUA 1938–1975 was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. Fannie Lou Hamer (born Fannie Lou Townsend on October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977) was an American Voting rights Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American

Kurt Vonnegut read the words of Mark Twain at the event celebrating the work of Zinn, a fellow World War II veteran. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist Vonnegut read from Twain, who spoke out after President Theodore Roosevelt congratulated a general involved in the 1906 Moro Crater massacre in the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T The Moro Crater massacre is a name given to the final phase of the First Battle of Bud Dajo, a military engagement of the Philippine-American War which took place The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

"It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make these people free and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way; and so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land," Vonnegut quoted Twain during the reading. [33]

In 2004, Zinn published Voices of A People's History of the United States with Anthony Arnove. Anthony Arnove is a freelance Literary editor, agent and Activist based in Brooklyn Voices expands on the concept and provides a large collection of dissident voices in long form. The book is intended as a companion to A People's History and parallels its structure.

Zinn was a consultant to the six-part documentary A People's History of the United States [34], a television series produced by Alvin H. Perlmutter. Alvin H Perlmutter, Director of The Independent Production Fund, has produced television programming for over thirty years According to the documentary's website, the series is expected to be broadcast in 2007.

After years of requests from parents and teachers for a younger readers' version of A People's History, in July 2007 Seven Stories Press has published A Young People's History of the United States, a two-volume, illustrated adaptation of the original text for young adult readers (ages 10-14), updated through the end of 2006. Seven Stories Press is an independent Publishing company located in New York City that publishes both cutting-edge works of fiction and a wide array of non-fiction A People's History of the United States is a 1980 Nonfiction book by American Historian and Political scientist Howard Zinn

Critical reception

When A People's History of the United States was first published in 1980, the New York Times reviewer, Columbia University historian Eric Foner, described the book as filled with telling quotations and vivid descriptions of usually ignored events, and said that "Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Eric Foner (born February 7, 1943 in New York City) is an American historian " However, referring to Zinn's focus on "the distinctive experience of blacks, women, Indians, workers and other neglected groups," Foner said, "The portrayal of these anonymous Americans is strangely circumscribed. Blacks, Indians, women and laborers appear either as rebels or as victims. Less dramatic but more typical lives — people struggling to survive with dignity in difficult circumstances — receive little attention", adding, "A People's History reflects a deeply pessimistic vision of the American experience. " Summing up, Foner found the approach to be limited, and said further that the book needed "an integrated account incorporating Thomas Jefferson and his slaves, Andrew Jackson and the Indians, Woodrow Wilson and the Wobblies. "[35]

Writing in the Washington Post Book World, reviewer Michael Kammen, a professor of American History at Cornell, wrote: "I wish that I could pronounce Zinn's book a great success, but it is not. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Michael Kammen is a professor of American cultural history in the Department of History at Cornell University. It is a synthesis of the radical and revisionist historiography of the past decade. . . Not only does the book read like a scissors and paste-pot job, but even less attractive, so much attention to historians, historiography and historical polemic leaves precious little space for the substance of history. . . . We do deserve a people's history; but not a singleminded, simpleminded history, too often of fools, knaves and Robin Hoods. We need a judicious people's history because the people are entitled to have their history whole; not just those parts that will anger or embarrass them. . . . If that is asking for the moon, then we will cheerfully settle for balanced history. "[36]

In a 2004 article in Dissent critiquing the 5th edition of A People's History of the United States, Georgetown University history professor Michael Kazin argued that Zinn's book is too focused on class conflict, and wrongly attributes sinister motives to the American political elite. Dissent is a leading intellectual magazine of politics and culture currently edited by Mitchell Cohen and Michael Walzer. Georgetown University is a Jesuit Private university located in Georgetown Washington D Class conflict, also class war or class warfare, is both the friction that accompanies social relationships between members or groups of different He also characterized the book as an overly simplistic narrative of elite villains and oppressed people, with no attempt to understand historical actors in the context of the time in which they lived. Kazin writes, "The ironic effect of such portraits of rulers is to rob 'the people' of cultural richness and variety, characteristics that might gain the respect and not just the sympathy of contemporary readers. For Zinn, ordinary Americans seem to live only to fight the rich and haughty and, inevitably, to be fooled by them. "[37] Kazin argues further that A People's History fails to explain why the American political-economic model continues to attract millions of minorities, women, workers, and immigrants, or why the socialist and radical political movements Zinn favors have failed to gain widespread support among the American public.

Responding to Kazin's criticism, Dale McCartney, editor of the Canadian online magazine, Seven Oaks, writes:

Zinn is not neglecting a more objective perspective on American history; he's rejecting it in favor of an openly political stance that reclaims the history of oppressed peoples, regardless of race or gender. Seven Oaks ( ISSN 1710-3061 is an online political Magazine based in Vancouver, Canada. His popularity is testament to both the appeal of such a reading of American history, and the desperate thirst of working class people, people of colour, women and the many other victims of modern society's ravages for a history in which they are at the centre. I would go so far as to argue that not only has Kazin underestimated the importance of this role for Zinn's book, but that the academic tradition of objectivity (read: liberalism that favors white men) has played a key role in marginalizing oppressed peoples and derailing social movements. Zinn's work is an important corrective to this destructive tradition in historical writing. [38]

Awards, references in pop culture and other accomplishments

Theatrical works

Zinn has written three plays: Daughter of Venus (1985), Emma (1976), and Marx in Soho (1999). Daughter of Venus is a play written by historian Howard Zinn. Emma (or Emma A Play in Two Acts about Emma Goldman American Anarchist, its full title is a play by historian and playwright Howard Zinn.

Emma is based on the life of the early 20th century anarchist Emma Goldman. Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches Goldman, an anarchist, feminist, and free-spirited thinker was exiled from the United States because of her viewpoints, including her staunch opposition to World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All As Zinn writes in his Introduction, Emma Goldman 'seemed to be tireless as she traveled the country, lecturing to large audiences everywhere, on birth control (‘A woman should decide for herself’), on the falsity of marriage as an institution (‘Marriage has nothing to do with love’), on patriotism (‘the last refuge of a scoundrel’) on free love (‘What is love if not free?’), and also on drama, including Shaw, Ibsen, and Strindberg'. The term free love has been used since at least the nineteenth century to describe a Social movement that rejects Marriage, which is seen as a form

Zinn has also come out in praise frequently for Vermont based theater troupe Bread and Puppet Theater, appearing with B&P founder Peter Schumann [45] and providing a critical blurb for Rehearsing with the Gods, a book on B&P [46]. The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical Puppet theater, active since the 1960s currently based in Glover Peter Schumann (born 1934 is the founder and director of the Bread & Puppet Theater.

Zinn received an acting credit when he appeared in the ensemble of David Hare's Stuff Happens at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater on the five year anniversary of 9/11 [47]. David Hare can refer to David Hare (philanthropist (1775–1842 Scottish philanthropist David Hare (artist (1917–1992 U Stuff Happens is a play by David Hare, written in response to the Iraq War

Books written or edited by Howard Zinn

Books

Forewords and introductions by Howard Zinn

Op-Ed Pieces

Compact discs

Zinn is currently on the Alternative Tentacles record label run by ex-Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra. Resident Genius was a Springfield Illinois -based Independent rock band Alternative Tentacles is an Independent record label based in San Francisco California and was established in 1979. Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958) more widely known by the Stage name Jello Biafra, is a musician who first gained Alternative Tentacles sells all forms of Zinn media, including books, films, and compact discs, and stocks hard-to-find Zinn material.

Biographies and profiles

References

  1. ^ NY Times Bestseller list
  2. ^ You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times (1994)ISBN 0-8070-7127-7
  3. ^ howardzinn. org announcement and democracynow. org May 20, 2008 newscast by Amy Goodman
  4. ^ Biography of Howard Zinn
  5. ^ Bography of August Meier
  6. ^ Organization of American Historians. The Organization of American Historians ( OAH) formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is an organization of historians focusing Obituary of August Meier, May 2003 by John Bracey University of Massachusetts, Amherst[1]
  7. ^ Edelman, Marian Wright. The University of Massachusetts (officially nicknamed UMass) is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "Spelman College: A Safe Haven for A Young Black Woman. " The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, no. 27 (2000): 118-123.
  8. ^ Interview with Zinn
  9. ^ Zinn interview
  10. ^ Media Filter article on Zinn
  11. ^ Zinn biography
  12. ^ Intervew with Zinn
  13. ^ Exodus News article on Zinn
  14. ^ Tomgram: Graduation Day with Howard Zinn
  15. ^ film clip of Zinn
  16. ^ Zinn, Howard (1990). Declarations of Independence. New York, NY: HarperPerennial. ISBN 0060921080.  
  17. ^ Interview with Zinn
  18. ^ Interview with Zinn
  19. ^ (1989) Who Spoke Up? American Protest Against the War in Vietnam 1963-1975. Horizon Book Promotions.  
  20. ^ [Ellsberg autobiography, Zinn autobiography]
  21. ^ News
  22. ^ Monthly Review February 2000 Howard Zinn
  23. ^ Blanton, Tom (2006-05-21). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. "The lie behind the secrets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
  24. ^ Blanton, Tom (2006-05-21). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. "The lie behind the secrets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
  25. ^ (1971) Winter Soldier Investigation.  
  26. ^ http://www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/unfinished.pdf
  27. ^ Interview with Zinn
  28. ^ "Terrorism Over Tripoli" from Zinn Reader, Seven Stories Press (1993) excerpted online
  29. ^ Yale Daily News - Zinn calls for activism
  30. ^ American Historical Association Blog: Iraq War Resolution is Ratified by AHA Members
  31. ^ Historian Howard Zinn Calls for Activism - CommonDreams.org
  32. ^ "Backlist to the Future" by Rachel Donadio, July 30, 2006
  33. ^ Truthdig - Reports - Patriot’s Day: Stop the Violence
  34. ^ Zinn's website
  35. ^ Foner, Eric, "Majority Report", New York Times Book Review, March 2, 1980, pp. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) BR3-BR4.
  36. ^ Kammen, Michael, "How the Other Half Lived", Washington Post Book World, March 23, 1980, p. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) 7
  37. ^ "Howard Zinn's History Lessons", by Michael Kazin, Dissent, Spring 2004
  38. ^ "Accessing history: The importance of Howard Zinn" by Dale McCartney, Seven Oaks Magazine, March 29, 2004
  39. ^ Prix des Amis du Monde diplomatique 2003 - Les Amis du Monde diplomatique
  40. ^ Zinn to receive Havens Center award (Oct. 4, 2006)
  41. ^ BORDC: BORDC's Advisory Board
  42. ^ Disarm.org website
  43. ^ [2]
  44. ^ You Can't Blow Up A Social Relationship :: AK Press
  45. ^ Boston.com / A&E / Theater/Arts / For puppet troupe, world events are its bread and butter
  46. ^ Rehearsing with Gods by Ronald T. Simon, Marc Estrin - Chelsea Green
  47. ^ Playbill News: Lili Taylor, Gloria Reuben, Howard Zinn Star in Cape Cod Reading of Stuff Happens Sept. 11

External links

Persondata
NAME Zinn, Howard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Author and historian
DATE OF BIRTH August 24, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Brooklyn, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH living
PLACE OF DEATH
Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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