Within the framework of American history, the perception of the development of the country and civilization is presented exclusively from the perspective of White Americans themselves, ignoring other groups. The author emphasizes that the history of America is told “from the standpoint of the conquerors and leaders of Western civilization” (Zinn 22). Historians often forget to talk about the experiences of such groups as Indians, Black Africans, as well as White members of the underprivileged classes, who suffered in the course of the development of a new civilization.
The most affected group was by far the Indians, the original inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. Zinn explains that in many ways, the Native Americans sacrificed their lives as a people for the sake of European progress on the continent against their own will (17). While from the point of view of the conquerors, the new continent offered a variety of opportunities for exploration and settlement, for the Indians, their invasion in many ways led to the decline of civilization.
Another affected group is the Black Africans, who have been subject to a long history of slavery. Zinn emphasizes that African civilization was inferior to Europe in military power but not in other aspects of development (26). Thus, slavery also marked the decline of African civilization by exploiting its main resource, which is people, for its own growth. In particular, the Europeans managed to turn Black Africans in the US into a special class, doomed to subjugation and instability.
As part of the Bacon Rebellion, a group of people of the lower class stood out who were oppressed by the government. The main points of dissatisfaction were “unjust taxes… putting favorites in high positions… monopolizing the beaver trade, and… protecting the western farmers from Indians” (Zinn 41). Thus, in the history of America, there were also Whites who were not part of the prosperous minority and did not belong to the privileged classes, but who had difficulties and problems of their own.
In modern society, diversity dominates, including differences in opinions and views on the same events. The history of the United States is often told from the perspective of its most successful and active participants. However, the contributions and sacrifices of those whose lives were changed under the onslaught of circumstances and were used as a resource for the growth of the country are not emphasized.
Work Cited
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. Taylor & Francis, 2015.