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American History
Featuring
A People's History of the United States
By Howard Zinn
and
by Jill Lepore
"We Are Our History" is a quote by the renowned author and intellectual James Baldwin. In this class we will investigate how the triumphs and challenges of the past shape the world we must face today.
When considering the stories passed down to us as history we must allow for the perspective of the storyteller. The same events may look different from the viewpoint of royalty and that of a serf, from victor and conquered, from intellectual and uneducated. There is a natural bias in the storytellers recounting of facts. In this class we will discuss and analyze American history while trying to understand the point of view of the tellers and the way our own viewpoint affects the way we interpret what we hear or read.
The class will address crucial turning points in American history, using both firsthand accounts by people who were there and later analyses by historians who studied them. After reading about these events we will write and debate about them, always considering the causes - governmental action, individual action, environmental imperatives, or inevitability.
This trimester, we'll consider whose land ours was (and should be), the nature of the equality promised in the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War, and the compromises and rights that make up the Constitution, which is the framework of our government. This trimester will take the story of our nation up to about 1798. This class will not only help you become an active historian, but it is a great class for those of you concerned about the essay, punctuation, reading comprehension and the U.S. History sections of the competency exam because we'll be working on those skills. Students will read an article, answer questions, join a class discussion, take careful notes and write and revise an essay. We will watch excerpts from the video series 500 Nations (about Native American history), Africans in America and Liberty and read selections from assorted texts. We’ll identify historic patterns and examine the seeds of our modern society from its pre-colonial and colonial foundation.
You must submit original work, NO AI responses are permitted and will result in NO CREDIT on your evaluation.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR VIDEOS AND RELATED CONTENT
In John Gast's painting "American Progress," the woman in the center is known as Columbia. She represents the United States moving west. She also symbolizes knowledge and progress. As she moves westward, she brings this knowledge and progress with her.
American Affairs. Zinn 7 Due Wednesday, November 5
Chapter 7: As Long as the Grass Grows or Water Runs
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. PUT YOUR NAME IN THE TITLE. When finished, share the doc with lonp@school-one.org and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
1. Why was "Indian Removal" so important?
2. What was Thomas Jefferson's view on the Native American situation in 1791?
3. What was Jefferson's proposal to Congress when he was President? Why did Jefferson change his view?
4. Who was Andrew Jackson? What were the results of his policies dealing with the Native Americans? Cite specific examples in your answer.
5. How did the United States acquire Florida?
6. How did the laws of the states of Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama deal with the Native American tribes of those areas? How did Jackson support these laws?
7. What did the Cherokee do to try to survive?
8. What happened to the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole Indians?
9. What was the Trail of Tears?
Shay's Rebellion
A violent insurrection in the Massachusetts countryside during 1786 and 1787, Shays' Rebellion was brought about by a monetary debt crisis at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Although Massachusetts was the focal point of the crisis, other states experienced similar economic hardships. Shays's Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes on both individuals and their trades.
American Affairs Zinn 6 Due Wednesday 10-29-2025
Chapter 6: The Intimately Oppressed
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers (with page numbers in parentheses). See me if you have any questions or need help.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. PUT YOUR NAME IN THE TITLE. When finished, share the doc with lonp@school-one.org and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
1. Describe the lives of women during the colonial period and Revolution.What was expected of them?
What public role did they have in colonial society?
2. Describe the lives of women after the Revolution. What had changed about the expectations of women?
What influences were at work to make these expectations clear to women?
3. How and why were women involved in the earliest labor strikes in America? What was it like for the women working in the mills? What specific health hazards were there in the mills?
4. Discuss other means that women used to defy the conventions of early 19th century society?
What would you have done if you lived at this time? How would you defy society?
5. Who were: Lucy Stone, Amelia Bloomer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Angelina and Sara Grimke, Dorothea Dix, Frances Wright and Sojourner Truth? (Write one or two sentences on each to define who each of these women
were and what
they did.)
6. What event took place in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848? What was the outcome of this event?
Why do you think it is important in US History?
American Affairs Test 1 Oct, 22,2025 NAME:______________________________
This is an open book test; use may use notes or text. You may not use search engines or AI. Download this to your computer and rename the file. Share with me; lonp@school-one.org.
What was the boundary created in Proclamation of 1763 that the colonists were not supposed to cross?
Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers?
What was the name of the ship that landed in 1619 in Virginia bringing captured Africans?
What did the Son of Liberty dress as during the Boston Tea Party?
What were the British troops looking for when they marched to Lexington and Concord?
What type of evidence did Governor William Phips stop from being used in the Salem Witch Trails?
Who had the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence?
Who wrote Common Sense? What was it about?
What happened to Thomas Hutchinson’s home?
What was Benjamin Franklin’s listed profession?
Who wrote the preamble to the Declaration of Independence?
Who was Samuel Adams?
Did slaves fight in the Revolutionary war? Why?
Why did the British Parliament impose the Stamp Act?
In what part of the colonies did the Regulators organize?
What was ironic about Shay’s Rebellion?
What was the Stono Rebellion? Where did it occur?
Where did the First Continental Congress meet? What did they decide?
Who did Pontiac lead against the British? What was the outcome?
What was the outcome of the battle of Bunker Hill?
BONUS QUESTION
From where did George Washington order his clothes before the Revolution? After?
American Affairs Review Guide
Keep in mind the following tips as you prepare for your quiz:
● You will have the entire Wednesday 10/22 class period to work on the quiz, and if you need more time, it will be due no later than 9:00 a.m. on Thursday 10/23.
● You may use notes for the quiz, keeping in mind that I will be looking for understanding from class content. If you supplement info from the internet, it may be correct, but that alone will not reflect your understanding in class. Questions will draw from Zinn and Lepore readings, People & Nation, videos, class discussions, notes, and handouts. Take note of comments left on your Zinn homework. If you are missing info or details, fill these in. Do not plagiarize or use AI without citing it properly in quotes. Explain most of the content in your own words.
● Questions will be essay format: some longer, some shorter. Use complete sentences. Identify key information and support it with specific details and examples. Consider cause-and-effect factors and the significance of each given topic. Zinn quotes are great, but they will not count toward your required minimum number of original sentences. Avoid being vague and repetitive.
Prepare to be able to explain and describe the following topics with specific details. Include the who, what, when, where, why, how, context, and outcomes.
● Details of the Slave Trade & The Middle Passage
● Methods of resistance of slaves, including but not limited to the Stono Rebellion
● The development of laws governing slavery.
● Bacon’s Rebellion
● Indentured servants
● Religious in the colonies in late 1600s-mid1700s.
● George Washington
● Salem Witch Trials
● Lexington and Concord
● French and Indian/Seven Years War
● Pontiac
● Haudenosaunee Confederacy (AKA Iroquios)
● Proclamation Line of 1763
● Stamp Act & Declaratory Acts
● Thomas Hutchinson & Benjamin Franklin
● The Regulators
● The Coercive Acts
● Pre-revolution time in Boston (Boston Caucus, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, etc.) and British response
● The Battle of Bunker Hill
● Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
● Continental Congress
American Affairs Zinn 5 Due Monday 10/15
Chapter 5: A Kind of Revolution
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers (with page numbers in parentheses). See me if you have any questions or need help.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. When finished, share the doc with lonp@school-one.org
and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
1. According to Zinn, who was fighting in the Revolution?
What problems did the south in particular face? Why? Who was excluded from fighting?
2. Describe some of the situations that arose between the rich and poor during the Revolution?
What do these incidents reveal about revolutionary America?
3. What happened to Native Americans and African Americans during the Revolution?
4. Who is Charles Beard? What is his interpretation of the Constitution?
5. What was Shay's Rebellion?
What was ironic about the reaction of the Massachusetts government to the rebels?
6. What was the general reaction to the rebellion? Cite examples.
7. What were the Federalist Papers? Who wrote them and what were they about?
8. What is Zinn's opinion of the Constitution? What does he point out about the Bill of Rights?
Watch this and comment:
North Sentinel Island: Home to the World’s Most Isolated People
American Affairs Zinn 1 Due Wednesday 9/10/2025
Chapter 1: Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers (with page numbers in parentheses). See me if you have any questions or need help.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. When finished, share the doc with Lonp@school-one.org and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
Who sponsored Columbus’s trip and what did they hope to get in return? What did Columbus stand to gain by undertaking this journey?
What was Columbus’s first impression of the native people he “discovered” in the New World? How did these first impressions influence his decisions?
Discuss Columbus’s policies toward the Arawak. What were the results of his policies?
Who was Bartolome de las Casas? Why is he important?
Who were Hernando Cortes, Montezuma and Pizarro? (Specifically identify each of these men and their importance to this time period.)
What methods did the English use to establish colonies? Discuss their encounters with the native peoples of the New World. What were the results of some of these encounters?
How does Zinn describe the indigenous peoples of the Americas? What conclusions can we draw from his description?
List what you think are the three most important points of this chapter. Choose one item from your list and briefly discuss why it is important.
American Affairs Zinn 2 Due Wednesday 9/17/25
Chapter 2: Drawing the Color Line
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers (with page numbers in parentheses). See me if you have any questions or need help.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. When finished, share the doc with Lonp@school-one.org and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
What is significant and important about the Dutch ship that arrives in Virginia in 1619?
Describe African Civilization. Include in your description the elements that you feel are the most important.
Compare the law and government of the African with that of the European and include in your comparison the system of slavery in Africa and the colonies.
Discuss the factors that lead to the development of slavery in the colonies. From the point of view of the colonist, how are these factors justified?
Make a list of methods Africans used to resist their captivity. Choose the methods that you think were the most effective and explain why you think they were effective.
Discuss the methods used by slave owners to control their slaves. What legal means were instituted to control slaves? Why did owners go to such lengths to control their slaves?
American Affairs Essay: Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day
You have now gained a lot of information about Native Americans and their initial contacts with Europeans. Write an essay of at least four paragraphs discussing whether Columbus Day is an appropriate holiday or should Indigenous peoples be celebrated as well or instead. Be sure to fully discuss both sides of the issue and to give your opinion, backed up by lots of evidence, and cite your sources. Each paragraph should be a minimum of 6 sentences, though you are highly encouraged to include more detail.
Paragraph 1: Introduce the main topic of the essay. Provide considerable background about pre-Columbian America and Columbus himself. Conclude with a thesis statement explaining what you think about the Columbus Day holiday.
Paragraph 2: Introduce your paragraph's theme in its first line. Explain the point of view with which you disagree in this paragraph. You can distance yourself from this opinion by beginning the first line with “Some people believe . . .” In this paragraph, you are going to be giving the best reasons why people (not you) support this point of view. Give specific details. This paragraph needs to cite specific evidence from readings with specific parenthetical notes showing the page number. You may cite videos as well, but be sure to use quotations from readings. A parenthetical note contains the author’s last name and the page number. (Zinn 22) indicates the information comes from page 22 of Zinn’s book. If the information comes from a video, put the video’s title in parentheses. (500 Nations: Clash of Cultures). Notes follow closing quotation marks but come before the period ending the sentence. Be sure to conclude your paragraph with a summary sentence.
Paragraph 3: Follow structure of paragraph 2, but with evidence supporting your point of view. You can begin this paragraph with “On the other hand, . . .” Give specific details.
Paragraph 4: Summarize the main arguments on both sides of this issue. To what extent if any should Columbus Day be celebrated? To begin the paragraph, summarize the best points made by both sides of the debate. Then explain what you think and your reasons. Be sure that you explain your reasoning carefully. Conclude the paragraph with a sentence that sums up the main point of your essay: your opinion about Columbus Day based on what you now know about him.
*Include a Works Cited list at the end that lists your sources using MLA format. Refer back to the Columbus research assignment on how to do this.
*The essay should be typed in double-spaced Times New Roman 12-point font with an original title, page numbers, and header including your name, class (American Affairs), assignment (Columbus Day Essay), and date.
Due: Wednesday, September 24th.
*Revisions will be required if essay does not meet guidelines.*
Organizing your essay
Gather quotations and facts from the reading and videos and list them in these columns. Once you have done this, it will be easy to write your essay. Write down source and page number next to the quote.
Basic Facts About Columbus:
Pro-Columbus
Pro-Columbus
Anti-Columbus
Anti-Columbus
Your thesis statement:
American Affairs Zinn 3 Due Wednesday 10/01/2025
Chapter 3: Persons of Mean and Vile Condition
From A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Please answer these questions as you read this chapter from Zinn. Carefully consider your answers before you write. Write in complete sentences and thoughts. Cite examples from the text in your answers (with page numbers in parentheses). See me if you have any questions or need help.
Please copy and paste the questions or go to “File” and “Make a copy” to create your own Google doc. When finished, share the doc with lonp@school-one.org and make sure I have editing access to make comments.
1. What was Bacon's Rebellion? Why do you think it was important?
2. What kinds of people were coming to the colonies? What does "indenture" mean?
3. What happened to the indentured servants once they arrived in the colonies? In your opinion was indentured servitude worthwhile?
4. Describe, in as much detail as you can, what life was like in the colonies? What role does social/economic class play in the colonies?
5. What were some of the fears the rich landed class had in colonial America? What policies did they institute to help them deal with their fears?
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