A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is something that I have read quite extensively when I took AP U.S. History during my junior year. Zinn’s work as a historian has often showed us that we portray world history through rose-colored glasses. This chapter on Columbus was fascinating as it revealed the violence and brutality of the Spaniards. Columbus and his men killed many Native Americans for their ultimate goal of discovering gold. What goes unnoticed in many history textbooks is the Native American’s perspective of life. Although they were viewed to be inferior by European settlers, their civilization was much more harmonious and advanced. They achieved peace with tribes, women were respected, food was distributed to those who needed it, and more. The European’s desire for money and power destroyed many native civilizations across the Americas. The efforts of colonialism is the reason why there are so few ancestors left today. This reading made me think about the perspective in history we have when we reference oppressors or victims in a certain event. This can have a powerful impact on how marginalized groups of power are viewed centuries later.
From Intent to Effect: Richmond, Virginia, and the Protracted Struggle for Voting Rights, 1965–1977 by Julian Hayter was an interesting read. In my PPEL class last semester, we examined the past and present voting structures in the United States, especially in Virginia. Although laws such as the Voting Rights Act were meant to make sure African Americans could exercise their right to vote, the federal government could not control the nefarious actions of southern states. I was not surprised by the actions of city officials in Richmond during the 60’s and 70’s because similar discrimination still occurs in the city today. What I learnt in my PPEL class is that it has become increasingly difficult to prove ‘discriminatory intent’. This can be seen in recent attempts to stop gerrymandering efforts in North Carolina’s congressional seats. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court has improved voting structure across states, they require more evidence to federally intervene now. My takeaway from this reading is that southern counties such as Richmond can only stop black voter dilution if they can legally prove discriminatory intent. Thus, political power is still much in the hands of the same southern elites today.
I was also interested in how women were treated better in many native cultures. It honestly seems like most of the disrespect and discrimination against women stems from Christianity.
The Zinn reading made me wonder how the world today would be different if we had come to American and made an effort to live harmoniously with Native American tribes. You mentioned several of their accomplishments in terms of running a peaceful society, but it was the European’s greed that ruined all of that, so it feels like we could have learned a lot from them.
Its interesting how you read this in AP us history. I also took that class my junior year of high school but I did not learn about any of this. I think thats interesting because the AP classes are supposed to be universal and the same everywhere they are taught. Its surprising that this was totally new to me.