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A Young People's History of the United States, Volume 1: Columbus to the Spanish-American War
A Young People's History of the United States brings to U.S. history the viewpoints of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people.
Volume 1 begins with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leads the reader through the earliest struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the 18th and 19th centuries. Zinn presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.
Volume 1 begins with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leads the reader through the earliest struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the 18th and 19th centuries. Zinn presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.
212 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
24 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 16, 2016
A librarian pointed me to this when I was looking for middle school history books that included more than was usually taught when I was a child. Wow! This adaptation of Zinn's adult book is very upfront that history is always told from a point of view, and he writes U.S. history as experienced by slaves, women, the poor, Native Americans -- anyone whose viewpoint is normally left out of textbooks. I was in tears by the last line of page one: "With fifty men we could subjugate them and make them do whatever we want." That's what Columbus wrote of his first encounter with Native Americans, who had brought him gifts.
As with any text for young people, much is simply asserted, and the book is most satisfying when quoting from primary sources. I plan to read Zinn's original, adult version for more information (A People's History of the United States).
As with any text for young people, much is simply asserted, and the book is most satisfying when quoting from primary sources. I plan to read Zinn's original, adult version for more information (A People's History of the United States).
June 21, 2010
I purchased this to supplement my son's traditional history lessons. Zinn tells history from the viewpoints of slaves, workers, immigrants, women, Native Americans and others typically left out of texts for young people. Highly recommend to add balance to a traditional history curriculum.
January 6, 2013
Excellent book for young readers for sure. I do not believe the book is from a skeptical bent because I think there is more truth in what is being said than not. Thus, I see this book as offering much needed balance for one to ponder as they study US history. Lets be honest here- do you really believe the rich and the powerful really care about the poor and the uneducated? And, Who do you think makes the rules? And, who do you think these rules are primarily meant to benefit? And, who is usually trying to get more of a piece of the pie? But I know, there is more to our history than just that. No?
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December 5, 2013Personally, I think this is the best history I've ever seen written for children. The book is an unapologetic look at American history from Columbus all the way up to the War on Terror under George W. Bush. Howard Zinn revolutionized the field of history when he released his "People's History of the United States"; with "Young People's History," he brings the same fire that he wrote with in the adult version to a level where 4th and 5th graders could understand.
I myself have used this book for several lesson plans and based my entire assessment plan around this book. It can be used for a multitude of things in history: straight history text, alternative perspectives in history, teaching children what evidence is and how to use it in making an argument, anything historically related really. It is completely accessible to younger students.
I put both versions on here as I consider them both one work. I will only count them as one book for the blog.
I myself have used this book for several lesson plans and based my entire assessment plan around this book. It can be used for a multitude of things in history: straight history text, alternative perspectives in history, teaching children what evidence is and how to use it in making an argument, anything historically related really. It is completely accessible to younger students.
I put both versions on here as I consider them both one work. I will only count them as one book for the blog.
July 12, 2011
Kind of dry and simple and I want to know more. However, I can't hold that against the book- it is not written for my age group. I've had reading the real People's History of the United States on my to do list for seven years or so. I had to admit to myself that it is apparently too daunting without getting the basics first (I'm super ignorant when it comes to history). This was a great start.
October 11, 2007
Just what you'd expect from Howard Zinn, scaled down for kids. Yes kids, our country was founded on greed and money. Even the dudes we're taught to admire were corrupt. I can't decide if this book is great because kids need to know the truth or sad because we're disillusioning (is that actually a word?) the young and idealistic...
January 21, 2011
A Young People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn, was the book I was required to read by my teacher my junior year of high school. Howard Zinn, the author, is a Historian who teaches at the University of Boston. He is a left wing anarchist and this is evident in his writing. In this book, Zinn addresses many important events in United States history while slyly incorporating his opinion on the event as well as on the society.
The book is accurate in all of its historical events. Zinn provides insightful information as well as facts that seem to have escaped normal history books. A lot of the information about the Native Peoples of the United States was included, which you could never find in a text book.
The style of writing in the book makes it smooth and easy to both read and understand. Each sentence is short and sweet and makes its point without using any superfluous words. The tone of the author is light and engaging, but negative at points. It seems that when Zinn does not agree with any part of an event he becomes rash in his judgments, making overly critical statements having to do with the government and/or the event itself. As the book goes on Zinn seems to grow more comfortable in revealing his negative opinions pertaining to the United States. Zinn claims that in his childhood and throughout his early life he had no idea the truths of history that were being hidden from him, this injustice lead him to write his own history book to try and eradicate the actions of past historians and those who wrote history books without the full truth behind them. He states these ideas as reasons why he has written a very informative history book, but also a long winded and repetitive essay that blames the government at every turn.
Overall Howard Zinn’s book is interesting and holds a reader’s attention, but it also throws out extreme ideas at least once per chapter. The information is accurate but the opinion and arrangement of the information in the so called “neutral” book gives it a very distinct slant. Every single time he doesn’t like an event or person he leaves out all of the positive facts but includes all of the most terrible negative ones. I think that it was a great read for keeping a young person’s attention when informing them about history, but his opinion lessened the value of the “neutral” information.
The book is accurate in all of its historical events. Zinn provides insightful information as well as facts that seem to have escaped normal history books. A lot of the information about the Native Peoples of the United States was included, which you could never find in a text book.
The style of writing in the book makes it smooth and easy to both read and understand. Each sentence is short and sweet and makes its point without using any superfluous words. The tone of the author is light and engaging, but negative at points. It seems that when Zinn does not agree with any part of an event he becomes rash in his judgments, making overly critical statements having to do with the government and/or the event itself. As the book goes on Zinn seems to grow more comfortable in revealing his negative opinions pertaining to the United States. Zinn claims that in his childhood and throughout his early life he had no idea the truths of history that were being hidden from him, this injustice lead him to write his own history book to try and eradicate the actions of past historians and those who wrote history books without the full truth behind them. He states these ideas as reasons why he has written a very informative history book, but also a long winded and repetitive essay that blames the government at every turn.
Overall Howard Zinn’s book is interesting and holds a reader’s attention, but it also throws out extreme ideas at least once per chapter. The information is accurate but the opinion and arrangement of the information in the so called “neutral” book gives it a very distinct slant. Every single time he doesn’t like an event or person he leaves out all of the positive facts but includes all of the most terrible negative ones. I think that it was a great read for keeping a young person’s attention when informing them about history, but his opinion lessened the value of the “neutral” information.
December 17, 2013
What makes this a five-star book is how utterly readable it is, moving fast even though nearly every paragraph seems vital and fascinating.
It seems many of the things I heard about for Zinn's original book centered around how much the speaker agreed/disagreed with this account of history, calling it either a win for the people or pure Marxism. Regardless of how I feel, what makes this version for young people a success (and Zinn's mission to write this version of history so important) is its recognition that history is far too vital to only be told one way.
My concerns about reading this version (instead of Zinn's full book) were eased when I saw that Zinn wrote an introduction, stamping his approval of Stefoff's adaptation, which uses Zinn's words. While I was originally too intimidated to take on Zinn's full book--I blame my bad memories of long dry history books that had only the information in mind and not the reader--reading this has ensured that someday I will. If Zinn's full book flows even half as well as this accessible yet densely-packed book, I will have no trouble. Until then, I'm certain to revisit the copious notes I took while reading this version, which so bravely aim to make the reader consider that there are always more sides to a story, even history.
It seems many of the things I heard about for Zinn's original book centered around how much the speaker agreed/disagreed with this account of history, calling it either a win for the people or pure Marxism. Regardless of how I feel, what makes this version for young people a success (and Zinn's mission to write this version of history so important) is its recognition that history is far too vital to only be told one way.
My concerns about reading this version (instead of Zinn's full book) were eased when I saw that Zinn wrote an introduction, stamping his approval of Stefoff's adaptation, which uses Zinn's words. While I was originally too intimidated to take on Zinn's full book--I blame my bad memories of long dry history books that had only the information in mind and not the reader--reading this has ensured that someday I will. If Zinn's full book flows even half as well as this accessible yet densely-packed book, I will have no trouble. Until then, I'm certain to revisit the copious notes I took while reading this version, which so bravely aim to make the reader consider that there are always more sides to a story, even history.
September 13, 2016
I thought this book was interesting and would bring up good points in a classroom discussion but should be used with caution. Zinn is a powerful writer and makes strong arguments for his position. However, his work contains no citations and is overly biased in a different direction. This book could be used to talk about bias, bring up the topic of textbook point of view, and talk about history from the other side. I would never just give this book to students without these discussions and would choose smaller selections to read in my classroom. Although it is a well written book, Zinn does not solve the textbook/history bias dilemma by arguing that the other side is "right." To find a more balanced and accurate view of history we need to consider both sides (or many sides) of the coin, not just one or the other.
April 27, 2008
This was a gift for my son, but it's a bit heavy for him right now. It's a 'simplified' version of Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." I think it is very valuable in that it gives a different perspective on the birth and growth of our nation. And as we know, our history is not the neat and tidy lessons we learned in elementary school...it is riddled with injustice and cruelty and an oftentimes secretive government. I plan to read the 'adult' version soon, along with Zinn's other books. He is a true genius when it comes to analyzing and chronicling the history of the United States...as breif as it has been so far. He offers hope that we will not repeat the mistakes of our anscestors.
August 27, 2012
I worry about this book giving young people an overly cynical view of the United States. I've read Lies My Teacher Told Me and that has a similar focus. I am all for telling the truth when it comes to any kind of history, but it also needs to be done with care and responsibility. Its very easy for students to get a one-sided view of a topic so in that sense, this book is an excellent supplement. Yes, the Spanish-American War was a political war, but Teddy Roosevelt was a great President domestically who took on trust-busting and large corporations looked out for the working class.
June 20, 2012
This is a great book to share with my students who are learning American History. It has fascinating stories that are true but not often found in
Traditional history books.
I used this book again this year. My class loved it! They, as a whole were not necessarily a group that liked to read, but they all loved reading this book. They became more interested in American history and always wanted to learn more.
Traditional history books.
I used this book again this year. My class loved it! They, as a whole were not necessarily a group that liked to read, but they all loved reading this book. They became more interested in American history and always wanted to learn more.
August 1, 2012
These books are a concise and engaging look at American history from a decidedly skeptical and "power to the people" point of view that doesn't follow the standard assumptions of most books on American history. It's well-written with good illustrations. The information is interesting and accurate and opens the discussion of point of view when it comes to history. Excellent addition to American history studies.
November 11, 2011
A clear and quick adaptation of the Zinn classic. I will definitely use sections for homework readings. Sometimes zinn strikes me as cynical....but i think his blunt perspective on history is just sometimes hard to take. His death was a true loss to the community of historians and to the world. Maybe that sounds overblown but I don't think it is.
November 4, 2009
While I appreciate looking at history from a non-dominant perspective, this book was lacking citations to support it's conclusions. I wonder whether Zinn's People's History of the United States for adults is better in that regard.
May 5, 2015
There are 212 pages in this book.I rate this book 3 stars because it's a good book about history in the U.S.There no main character in this book of history.This book talks about slaves,slaves in war and the Civil War.
September 7, 2022
I am a history nerd, through and through. This small volume is a great read that I would very much recommend, if you are looking for an alternative viewpoint on U.S. history.Â
This book was adapted from Zinn's A People's History of the United States to make this history more accessible for younger readers. While I haven't read Zinn's original classic, I will attest to the fact that this book was easy to read and easy to comprehend. I would say this book is suitable for middle grade or high school readers. The history isn't dumbed down, but rather it is simplified without expounding details to the umpteenth degree. The only thing I will say is that I wish there was more flow between chapters, but then again, I think that is just a consequence of condensing nearly 400 years of history into a 200-page book. I also think this book is sorely missing any citations of source material. Give young readers some credit--at least give them a bibliography!Â
As for the elephant in the room (Zinn's bias), I won't try to say it isn't evident. I do think it is important to view history from various viewpoints, and Zinn's is definitely an interesting one. This book would be a great teaching/learning tool for young historians, if approached with caution.Â
Overall, this little volume was an excellent summary of the beginning of U. S. history, told from an alternative view of the usual history textbooks. I would definitely recommend this to history lovers, young & old!Â
This book was adapted from Zinn's A People's History of the United States to make this history more accessible for younger readers. While I haven't read Zinn's original classic, I will attest to the fact that this book was easy to read and easy to comprehend. I would say this book is suitable for middle grade or high school readers. The history isn't dumbed down, but rather it is simplified without expounding details to the umpteenth degree. The only thing I will say is that I wish there was more flow between chapters, but then again, I think that is just a consequence of condensing nearly 400 years of history into a 200-page book. I also think this book is sorely missing any citations of source material. Give young readers some credit--at least give them a bibliography!Â
As for the elephant in the room (Zinn's bias), I won't try to say it isn't evident. I do think it is important to view history from various viewpoints, and Zinn's is definitely an interesting one. This book would be a great teaching/learning tool for young historians, if approached with caution.Â
Overall, this little volume was an excellent summary of the beginning of U. S. history, told from an alternative view of the usual history textbooks. I would definitely recommend this to history lovers, young & old!Â
May 1, 2019
For what it is, a condensed version of Zinn's massive tome A People's History of the United States, it was great. It gave enough information without being too "textbook". Topics ranged from reiterating certain basic facts we're taught but with a different perspective while other topics are ones that have been completely swept under the rug of US history.
January 25, 2023
不同于正统历史的解读，本书书名中最重要的词是“people”，是从大众角度看历史，而非帝王将相、战争外交等传统角度。虽然zinn原著是A People's History of the United States，最早发表于1980年，后作者写作young版本，而本书则是进一步改编的版本，但是思路一脉相承，从印第安人、黑人、契约奴、女性等等普通人角度解读。比如，美国革命是殖民地既得利益集团将本地的贫富矛盾转移为殖民地人对英国当局以及殖民统治者的矛盾等等。对我思想冲击很大，还需要慢慢消化
March 4, 2024
Read book to see if appropriate for my ten-year old. Overall okay but there is one section that deal with violence against women. So personally will wait a bit longer before letting her read it. Besides that, however, it is a wonderful adaptation of Zinn’s masterpiece.
August 2, 2019
Excellent resources. Doesn't pull any punches.
January 18, 2021
Its refreshing to hear facts but also the rebellions that transpired and information about those rarely discussed in mainstream history text.
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June 26, 2021I think this could rlly use an updated edition
December 5, 2024
Good book, very generalized, some nice points.
November 4, 2024
An excellent YA history of the people’s mostly left out of history books. The passages here are balanced and nuanced. Keeping this one handy for passages which are relevant and can be woven into my instruction.
July 9, 2017
Excellent middle school reader. I assigned a chapter nightly and we discussed it the following day. The chapters provide easy opportunities to connect to contemporary students and current events.
April 20, 2010
This book A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn teaches you a lesson on history. Even though I got the book last year I really didn't get a chance to read it but this year I just thought lets give it a try. The first chapter really stood out at me with Columbus killing many people to his goal of discovering America. To me that just isn't right because many people were innocent and probably didn't deserve the treatment that Columbus gave them. Another chapter that stood out at me was the second one. It wasn't really the chapter that stood out at me but it was the first picture that was being displayed. With the slaves being auctioned off yeah I really didn't like that because nobody should have a price and they were only getting selled for like a penny which was so wrong.
This book will keep you on the edge on your seat with every page. Some parts you may not like but others you will think is very interesting. I love this book and I hope later this year I will be able to read another version!!
This book will keep you on the edge on your seat with every page. Some parts you may not like but others you will think is very interesting. I love this book and I hope later this year I will be able to read another version!!
May 31, 2015
A Young People’s History of the United States is a great book that is unique in the way that it portrays US history. Though written in third person, it takes the viewpoint of people who are not often included in history books. These people include workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, along with others who made a difference in our countries history. The book made a focus of major movements such as the labor movement, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement, as well as other movements. I liked the way how the people were the center of making the history, not just politicians. It was good how the book did not just glorify the United States, but gave an honest view of the good and bad things the US has done. I recommend this book to history buffs, but also to anybody who wants to learn more about their country's history.
April 23, 2009
I was really excited to see a kids’ version of Howard Zinn’s influential book, A People’s History of the United States, at my library. However, I found Volume 1 to be poorly compiled and inappropriate for young readers who don’t already have a grasp on the basic timeline of American history. It’s refreshing to see the story of the United States presented to children in a way that doesn’t shy away from the ugly details of slavery, expansionism, class struggle, etc., but unfortunately I didn’t think it would make much sense to young readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews