A Young People's History of the United States

Zinn doesn’t go into much detail about women’s history in the US. What patterns or moments does he emphasize, and what could bear more explanation? If you set out to author a book about women’s history in the US, what information might you extract from Zinn’s book to include in it?

The last era that Zinn covers is the Iraq War. Think about American history since then, including the presidents elected, domestic and foreign policy initiatives, social movements, and trends in popular culture. If you added two or three follow-up chapters on subsequent eras to fit the themes and tone of A Young People’s History, what would you cover in those chapters, and what would you name them?

Zinn published the first-edition adult-level book that inspired this adaptation in 1980 and the most recent edition in 2007. He based what he covered on gaps he saw in public education about American history. Since Zinn took stock of public historical knowledge during his career, what significant changes have occurred in history education? What (if any) claims does Zinn make that you suspect were once radical but are now more mainstream?

What do you think was the most revolutionary era of US history? Why?

The American colonies of the late 1700s differed fundamentally in many ways from the US today. When do you think the modern US took form? At what point in history did politics and society become more like our world than different from it?

Zinn describes the gains and limitations of various movements for change. Examine either the labor movement or the long fight for Black civil rights. What were the major gains, losses, and limitations of these movements over time?

Zinn’s perspective is decidedly anti-war. Why do you think he has this perspective? What aspects of the US’s history of warring does Zinn find particularly troubling? To what extent do you agree or disagree with his perspective?

Zinn occasionally talks about children. What patterns of children’s history can you discern in the text? What are you left wondering about the experience of American children over time?