(no subject)
One chapter of Zinn down.
Here is the precis.
Comments and corrections greatly appreciated.
In “Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom,” Howard Zinn goes through Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction American while pointing out the social, economic, and political transformations the nation went through in each of these eras, paying special attention to those issues that pertained to African-Americans. In doing so, points out the changes that occurred in America at their time and their effects on society as a whole.
Zinn starts in the antebellum period and shows the growing tensions between the north and the south that brought about The Civil War. He describes the status of blacks at the time as slaves who were seen as property and had no rights whatsoever. They were brutally beaten, malnourished, and worked until the point of exhaustion. However, Zinn notes that slaves rarely revolted, but more often they simply escaped to freedom in the north. He also shows that slaves were by no means content with their status, as their white masters had believed. Slave owners saw themselves as paternalistic providers and believed it was in the slaves’ best interest to live and work on the plantation. However, as Zinn points out, slaves believed they were being mistreated and desired freedom.
Next, Zinn moves into the years 1861-1865, the Civil War. While it is a common misconception that the Civil War was fought to end slavery, Zinn shows that the issue of slavery didn’t bring about the Civil War; rather, as the war progressed, the issue of slavery intensified and became paramount. The real reason for the war was a difference in opinion between the North and the South on issues such as expansion and states rights. Ultimately, the north won, the government became more centralized, all new territories were open to free white labor, and slavery was abolished. In addition, as a result of the civil war, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed which respectively abolished slavery, granted citizenship to every person born or naturalized in the United States, and gave African-Americans the right to vote. Blacks were now technically equal to whites in a political and legal sense.
However, as Zinn makes apparent through his description of the reconstruction era, African-Americans were far from being socially equal to whites. Because of the new laws and amendments passed after the Civil War, many blacks voted and went to school where they never were able to before. Although blacks did try to participate in politics, purchase land, and lead free lives, their attempts were hindered by the racist views of white Americans nationwide. Zinn pays particular attention to the Ku Klux Klan whose raids, lynchings, beatings, and burnings successfully kept many blacks from joining in social and political activities that were dominated by whites. While blacks did achieve legal equality during Reconstruction, they still met with a fair amount of racism and, as a result, often formed separate, segregated, black churches, schools, and other various organizations.
Throughout this chapter, Zinn seems to make the point that despite all the changes that occurred in America during the Civil War period, not much actually change took place. Although new laws and amendments provided rights and protection for African-Americans, whites often found loopholes and were often able to keep blacks out of white society. Even though blacks were technically equal to their white counterparts, the white man still dominated politically, socially, and economically while the black man struggled.
Here is the precis.
Comments and corrections greatly appreciated.
In “Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom,” Howard Zinn goes through Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction American while pointing out the social, economic, and political transformations the nation went through in each of these eras, paying special attention to those issues that pertained to African-Americans. In doing so, points out the changes that occurred in America at their time and their effects on society as a whole.
Zinn starts in the antebellum period and shows the growing tensions between the north and the south that brought about The Civil War. He describes the status of blacks at the time as slaves who were seen as property and had no rights whatsoever. They were brutally beaten, malnourished, and worked until the point of exhaustion. However, Zinn notes that slaves rarely revolted, but more often they simply escaped to freedom in the north. He also shows that slaves were by no means content with their status, as their white masters had believed. Slave owners saw themselves as paternalistic providers and believed it was in the slaves’ best interest to live and work on the plantation. However, as Zinn points out, slaves believed they were being mistreated and desired freedom.
Next, Zinn moves into the years 1861-1865, the Civil War. While it is a common misconception that the Civil War was fought to end slavery, Zinn shows that the issue of slavery didn’t bring about the Civil War; rather, as the war progressed, the issue of slavery intensified and became paramount. The real reason for the war was a difference in opinion between the North and the South on issues such as expansion and states rights. Ultimately, the north won, the government became more centralized, all new territories were open to free white labor, and slavery was abolished. In addition, as a result of the civil war, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed which respectively abolished slavery, granted citizenship to every person born or naturalized in the United States, and gave African-Americans the right to vote. Blacks were now technically equal to whites in a political and legal sense.
However, as Zinn makes apparent through his description of the reconstruction era, African-Americans were far from being socially equal to whites. Because of the new laws and amendments passed after the Civil War, many blacks voted and went to school where they never were able to before. Although blacks did try to participate in politics, purchase land, and lead free lives, their attempts were hindered by the racist views of white Americans nationwide. Zinn pays particular attention to the Ku Klux Klan whose raids, lynchings, beatings, and burnings successfully kept many blacks from joining in social and political activities that were dominated by whites. While blacks did achieve legal equality during Reconstruction, they still met with a fair amount of racism and, as a result, often formed separate, segregated, black churches, schools, and other various organizations.
Throughout this chapter, Zinn seems to make the point that despite all the changes that occurred in America during the Civil War period, not much actually change took place. Although new laws and amendments provided rights and protection for African-Americans, whites often found loopholes and were often able to keep blacks out of white society. Even though blacks were technically equal to their white counterparts, the white man still dominated politically, socially, and economically while the black man struggled.