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