Themes: Manipulated Reality
Most textbooks, Zinn would argue, are complicit in establishing and maintaining a manipulated reality. This reality is manipulated for the benefit of the ruling classes. As such, various crucial elements of American reality that were socially created are treated as natural, or as happening without any one acting to create them. White racism towards African immigrants is one example, as are more generalized attitudes toward African-Americans found throughout American history and culture. Chapter 2 of A People's History of the United States documents how racial prejudice was generated by the conditions of the early colonists, and how blacks and poor whites got along relatively well before entrenched powers worked to convince these poor whites that their common interest lay with the rich white planters rather than with their fellow (black) laborers.
Expert Q&A
How does Howard Zinn describe "rags to riches" stories in A People's History of the United States?
Howard Zinn describes "rags to riches" stories as largely mythical in A People's History of the United States. He argues that while a few individuals rose from poverty to wealth, most wealthy individuals of the late 19th century came from middle- or upper-class backgrounds. Zinn critiques this myth for promoting the idea that wealth results from talent and hard work, justifying inequality and supporting the American Dream as a means of control.
What, according to Zinn, was the primary purpose of public school education during the Gilded Age?
According to Zinn, the primary purpose of public school education during the Gilded Age was to prepare skilled and semi-skilled workers for the industrial workforce. Public schools and newly established universities, funded by wealthy industrialists, aimed to produce obedient workers who would fulfill societal roles such as nurses, doctors, and engineers without dissent. This education system was favored by mill owners, as it reduced the likelihood of worker strikes and demonstrations.
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