A Young People's History of the United States

A Young People’s History of the United States is based on author Howard Zinn’s acclaimed A People’s History of the United States, written for an adult audience and originally published in 1980. Rebecca Stefoff adapted Zinn’s text to suit a young audience of middle school to high school ages. This adaptation has been in print since 2007.

Summary

The key word in the title is “People’s.” Zinn (and Stefoff) deliver a history about the masses in the US, starting with the first contact between Europeans (Columbus and the ensuing “conquistadors”) and Indigenous groups in the Americas. This most recent edition of the book covers US history through the Iraq War and the social pushback against it. While the author names and describes the big figures typically associated with historical eras like presidents and politicians, social leaders, and military figures, he recasts the standard characterizations of these “American heroes” to correct the mythology surrounding them—and makes room to discuss lesser-known historical actors. He devotes entire chapters to expounding the views and plights of marginalized social groups, including enslaved Black people, Native nations facing European and American colonialism, poor people, immigrants, political dissenters, and women (who legally had little control over their lives for much of American history).