How does Zinn describe the American Revolution in Chapter 5?
Explain Jennings’ statement: The Revolution was a “multiplicity of variously oppressed and exploited peoples who preyed upon each other.” Jennings felt the Indians were at the center of the American Revolution because it was their land that everyone was fighting over.
Which portion of the population would the revolutionary elite have to woo according to Zinn?
The Revolutionary leadership knew what about gaining support for the war? Fighting would have no appeal to slaves or Indians, so they had to woo the white population. You just studied 62 terms!
What does Zinn argue was the role of Shays Rebellion?
Zinn, following Charles Beard, argues that Shays’ Rebellion helped convince the Founding Fathers that they needed to create a strong national state that could protect their property from future rioters and revolutionaries like Daniel Shays.
What does Zinn mean by a kind of revolution?
Zinn qualifies the phrase in the title. The founding of the United States was “a kind of revolution”: not the kind that gives power to a new social class, but the kind that makes surface changes while leaving existing classes intact. War was both a way to redirect the people’s anger and a method of consolidating power.
What discovery did colonial elites make in 1776 that would prove useful for the next 200 years?
In 1776, the English colonies discovered that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from favorites of the British Empire, and that they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for …
What battles did the colonists win in the Revolutionary War?
The Battle of Trenton was important in that it restored the American morale which was low following the massive defeats and evacuation of New York City.
- Battle of Saratoga.
- Valley Forge.
- Treaty with France.
- Siege of Charleston.
- Battle of Camden.
- The Battle of King’s Mountain.
- The Battle of Cowpens.
- Battle of Yorktown.
Why does Zinn state that US was helping Britain?
Zinn’s view was that traditional American histories were sympathetic to the nation’s social and economic elites. The aim of the revolution, Zinn argues, was to divert colonial class anger of the 1760s, shifting it away from colonial assemblies and onto the British government.
How does Howard Zinn view the Constitution?
illustrates the complexity of the American system: that it serves the interests of a wealthy elite, but also does enough for small property owners, for middle-income mechanics and farmers, to build a broad base of support.
Why did Shay lead a rebellion of poor farmers and veterans?
In August 1786, Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays led an armed rebellion in Springfield, Massachusetts to protest what he perceived as the unjust economic policies and political corruption of the Massachusetts state legislature.
Why did Daniel Shay organize a rebellion?
A group of protestors, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, began a 6 month rebellion by taking over the Court of Common Pleas in Northampton; the goal was to prevent the trial and imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens.
What does Zinn say was the myth of the American Revolution?
Howard Zinn argues the revolution was a way for American elites to gain support and power rather than a fight for freedom. Zinn describes the American Revolution as “the most effective system of national control devised in modern times.” By the 1760s the colonies had several established political and social leaders.
What is the title of Chapter 5 of Zinn?
The title of chapter five in Zinn is “A Kind of Revolution.” Throughout the chapter, the whole idea is that this wasn’t your normal revolution. This revolution was characterized by class; the poor fighting for the rich. Leaders of the war were rich and didn’t typically fight.
What did Zinn want to say about the Revolution?
During the revolution you mainly found the poor people fighting for the rich so what Zinn was trying to say was that the revolution was not pushed by the rich elites as hard as it should.
What does Howard Zinn mean by middle class Americans?
Historians have criticized Zinn for not clarifying what, precisely, he means by “middle-class” Americans—sometimes, he lumps this group in with the working-classes, and at other times, he links them with the elite.
Why did the founders want balance between dominant forces?
The war reflects that the founders did not want equal balance between slaves and masters, propertyless and property holders, or Indians and whites as most believe to be true. The founders wanted a balance among dominant forces and to keep the status of these dominant forces and use the common people to benefit the wealthy.
