Howard Zinn

Columbus and the Indians
1. Columbus, the first messenger to the Americas from the civilization of western Europe was hungry for money.
2. Columbus talked king and queen of Spain into paying for his expedition.
3. Columbus would get 10 percent of profits from gold and spices.
  1. Spain pays for trip.
    1. Become governor of newly discovered lands.
    2. Provides Columbus with 17 ships, 1200+ men for second expedition.
4. The aim was slaves and gold.
  1. 1495, five hundred Indian slaves were captured.
    1. 200 died on voyage.
    2. Rest were sent to Spain and put up for sale by local church official.
  2. Indians who did not give up gold had hands cut off and bled to death.
5. By 1550,only 500 Indians remained. A century later, no Arawaks were left on island.
Black and White
1. In North America, slavery was substitute for paid labor.
2. 350 years of blacks suffering inhumane treatment in American society because of racism.
  1. Combines ideas about black inferiority with the unequal treatment of black people.
3. By 1619, a million blacks were forced from Africa to work as slaves in South America and Caribbean Island.
4. American slavery was most cruel form for to reasons:
  1. American slavery was driven by a frenzy for limitless profit.
  2. It was based on racial hatred, a view that saw whites as masters and blacks as slaves.
5. Inhumane treatment began in Africa, captured slaves were chained together, forced to walk to coast for thousands of miles sometimes.
6. First American slave ship sailed from Massachusetts in 1637.
Who were the Colonists?
1. Bacons Rebellion, uprising of angry, poor colonists against two groups they saw as their enemies.
  1. One was Indians.
  2. Other was colonists' own rich and privileged leaders.
2. 1670s, rich landowners controlled most of eastern Virginia.
3. 1676, unhappy Virginians found a leader in Nathaniel Bacon.
  1. Bacon owned land.
  2. Cared more about fighting Indians than about helping poor.
  3. Elected to colonial government called House of Burgesses.
4. Many poor people bound for America became indentured servants.
  1. Signed indenture agreements to repay cost of trip to America by working for a master for 5-7 years.
  2. Indentured servants were bought and sold like slaves once they arrived in America.
Tyranny is Tyranny
1. British colonies of North America discovered that creating a nation and symbol called the United States would allow them to take over land, wealth and political power from other people who ruled colonies for Great Britain.
2. By 1760, there had been 18 uprisings aimed at overthrowing government of one or more colonies.
3. 1760s, colonists had people called local elites.
  1. Political and social leaders in their city, town, or colony.
  2. Most were educated lawyers, doctors and writers.
4. Local elite feared overturn of social order.
  1. Felt they could turn rebellious energy of colonists against Britain and its officials.
5. 1763, British defeat France in Seven Years' War.
6. Many very poor people but only few very rich people.
7. Declaration of Independence adopted 7-2-1776.
  1. Declaration called people to control their government.
  2. Declaration did not include Indians, enslaved lacks, or women.
The women of early America
1. America's laws and social customs said women were not equal to men.
  1. Fathers and husbands controlled women.
  2. Women were oppressed.
  3. Under law, when women married, husband became their master.
    1. Her property and possessions became husbands once married.
2. In 19th century, women worked in textile or clothing factories.
3. Middle class women couldn't attend college but could teach in primary schools.
4. All over country, women did work for antislavery societies.
5. Stanton and Mott organized first women's rights convention in 1848.
Revolutions
1. Americans lost 1st battle of war at Bunker Hill and Brooklyn Heights.
2. New Year's Day, 1781, some Pennsylvania troops mutinied because they were not receiving any pay.
3. Tenant farmers became threat during war.
4. Revolution brought little change for most poor whites, working people, and tenant farmers.
5. People couldn't vote if they didn't have enough land.
6. farmers protested against courts taking land and cattle away because of debt.
As long as grass grows or water runs
1. Americans bought up land after Revolution.
2. Jackson waged war against Creeks in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
  1. 1814, killed thousands of Creeks in Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
3. Jackson became Prsident
  1. As president, government removed 70,000 Indians from homelands east of Mississippi.
4. Government Choctaws and Creek Indians was promised new land for old land.
  1. Promised protection and peace to Indians on new land.
  2. Government broke promise, did not protect Indians.
    1. Whites attacked Creeks
      1. Indians attacked and killed white families.

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