Реферат: The Opressed Essay Research Paper The Oppressed

Zinn commiserates with the plight of the oppressed frontier whites,

making Nathaniel Bacon out to be a hero. Over the course of the next 80

years, Zinn cites routine injustices against the working and under

classes, saying that it ?seems quite clear that the class lines hardened

through the colonial period; the distinction between rich and poor

became sharper? (47).

It is refreshing and commendable to see a history text that takes a

stance on the side of the peoples that seldom get represented.

Columbus?s treatment of the Native Americans was atrocious, abominable,

and abhorrent, yet most history texts treat him as one the greatest men

to have ever lived. If your value as a human being is measured by the

number of lives you ruin, people you kill, and civilizations you

destroy, then Columbus is on par with Josef Stalin. This example may

seem extreme, but both men were directly responsible for the deaths of

millions on innocent civilians and caused sheer terror and panic among

millions of other people. The difference is that Columbus did it in the

name of exploration and human progress, which Zinn correctly calls a bit

of a misnomer, while Stalin did it to achieve his political ambitions,

which Columbus was certainly not without himself. Columbus committed

horrible atrocities, and Zinn accurately portrays them from a unique

standpoint, which gives long overdue respect and recognition to the

millions of Indians who died in the name of progress. Equally accurate

is Zinn?s portrayal of colonial relations. Both African slaves and

proletarian whites were pushed around, tormented, and used as pawns in

the political game of chess for the benefit of the bourgeoisie. Zinn

asserts that there were clear contentions between the races that

ultimately led to the revolution when the anger of the masses that was

originally directed primarily at the bourgeoisie was redirected against

England in the form of rhetoric, concessions, and propaganda calling for

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