A People's History of American Empire #[nn]

In this powerful prologue to *A People's History of American Empire*, Howard Zinn reflects on the profound grief following the September 11 attacks, grappling with the moral cost of a national response that mirrored the very violence it sought to condemn. Written in a clear, unflinching voice, the piece challenges readers to consider how the pursuit of empire can reshape a nation’s soul.

In "The Pullman Strike," a stark portrait of labor and power unfolds as workers face wage cuts and rising costs under the Pullman Company’s control, sparking a defiant strike. With Debs at the heart of the resistance, the struggle against corporate greed and state violence reveals the deep fractures in America’s economic and political systems.

In "Chapter II, The Spanish-American War: The Drumbeat for War," the push for intervention in Cuba unfolds through the voices of business, press, and political leaders eager to justify imperial action. Sensationalist headlines and unverified claims inflame public sentiment, especially after the USS Maine's explosion—blamed on Spain without evidence—while labor leaders back Cuban rebels yet warn against American expansionism.

In "Chapter II, The Spanish-American War: Spoils of War," the aftermath of Cuba’s fight for independence reveals a stark contrast between battlefield victory and political betrayal. Though American and insurgent forces defeat Spanish troops, the real casualties come from tainted beef supplied by Armour—more soldiers die from disease than from combat. As the U.S. installs a protectorate instead of honoring Cuban self-rule, insurgent leader Gomez dissolves the army, marking a turning point in the island’s struggle.

In "Chapter III, The Invasion of the Philippines: Benevolent Assimilation," the United States' promise of liberation for the Philippines quickly gives way to imperial conquest, as the nation's so-called "benevolent assimilation" masks a brutal campaign of subjugation. With the war escalating and tactics like the "water cure" employed against resistance fighters, voices like W.E.B. DuBois, Mark Twain, and Henry Turner speak out against the hypocrisy and violence, while figures such as Theodore Roosevelt and Elihu Root champion the cause—revealing a nation at odds with itself.

In "Chapter IV, War is the Health of the State: Righteous Conquest," the forces of empire and domestic control align as U.S. leaders leverage foreign conflict to manage unrest at home. With the wealthy pouring resources into overseas ventures, Wilson’s military expands not just to defend interests, but to enforce them—often against the very nations where those investments lie. The story unfolds through sharp, typeset letters that frame the era’s contradictions with quiet, unflinching clarity.

In "Chapter IV, War is the Health of the State: World War I," the forces behind American capitalism are revealed as eager for global conflict to unify a fractured nation—rich and poor alike—under a shared enemy. As Wilson navigates a shifting path from neutrality to war, voices like Debs and Du Bois stand in quiet defiance, while secret treaties between the Allies plot the future of the Middle East at the expense of Arab allies.

In "Chapter IV, War is the Health of the State: Resistance to War," a powerful chapter from *A People's History of American Empire*, the quiet but fierce opposition to war emerges from diverse corners of American life—workers, religious groups, women, and others who challenge the state's march toward conflict. Through carefully documented accounts, the chapter reveals how this resistance was met with repression, surveillance, and the erosion of civil liberties, all in the name of national unity.

In "Chapter V, Growing Up Class-Conscious: Poor but Never Hungry," the Zinn family in Depression-era Brooklyn clings to dignity and resilience, sustained by quiet acts of kindness—like the doctor who treats Howard’s rickets without charge. Amid hardship, a young boy’s brief trip to the country ends in tragedy, and news of Sacco and Vanzetti’s execution arrives like a distant thunderclap, marking a world where justice feels as scarce as food.

In "Chapter V, Growing Up Class-Conscious: Sacco and Vanzetti," the wrongful arrest and trial of two immigrant laborers, Sacco and Vanzetti, unfold against the backdrop of a deeply flawed legal system. The story, presented in stark, typeset letters, captures how their persecution reverberated through a Brooklyn neighborhood, exposing the era’s fear of dissent and the cost of justice denied.

In "Chapter V, Growing Up Class-Conscious: Street Smarts," young Howard stumbles upon a battered Tarzan novel on the street, a small spark that ignites a deeper curiosity about the world. As he reads Dickens and absorbs the realities of his father’s life as a waiter, he begins to question the myth that hard work guarantees success—especially when the system seems rigged for the wealthy. The story traces his awakening to injustice, culminating in a moment of radical clarity during a Communist demonstration, where he’s knocked unconscious but gains a new understanding of power and resistance.

In "Chapter VI, World War II: A People's War? Questioning War," Howard Zinn recounts his time at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, his marriage, and his service in the Army Air Forces, offering a grounded, critical look at the war's contradictions. As segregation is enforced and corporate interests shape policy, he reflects on rising strikes and the disproportionate number of men imprisoned for refusing the draft—challenging the idea of a war fought for moral reasons.

In this stark, powerful chapter from *A People's History of American Empire*, historian Howard Zinn reflects on his time as a bombardier during a harrowing early napalm mission, where the line between enemy and civilian blurred in the firestorm. Facing the moral weight of war's collateral damage, he grapples with the cost of service and the illusion of clean hands, sealing his memories with a quiet, defiant "Never Again."

In "Chapter VI, World War II: A People's War? The Atomic Age," the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is examined not just as a military decision, but as a pivot point in global power dynamics. As Truman’s choices ripple across the world, the seeds of the Cold War take root—loyalty oaths tighten, democratic movements are suppressed, and the United States begins aligning with authoritarian regimes in the name of anticommunism.

In the aftermath of World War II, jazz and the jitterbug become defiant acts of joy and resistance for African American and Mexican American youth, who wear zoot suits as bold statements against segregation and injustice. Though met with violence from servicemen and police, the music plays on and the dance continues, a quiet rebellion in motion.

In the heart of South Central Los Angeles, John Dolphin’s music store and radio broadcasts become a defiant sanctuary where white, Black, and Hispanic teens gather to celebrate R&B. Amid rising pressure from police and civic leaders, the rhythm keeps playing and the crowds keep coming—drawn by the sound, the community, and the quiet rebellion in every note.

In this powerful chapter from A People's History of American Empire, young educator Howard Zinn joins forces with students and community members at Spelman College to challenge segregation by organizing a campaign to integrate Atlanta’s public libraries. Though the effort ultimately succeeds, it comes at a personal cost—Zinn is dismissed from his teaching position.

In "Children of the Empire: Shaken to the Bone," the quiet courage of civil rights activists is laid bare as they take to the streets and buses, determined to register African American voters despite overwhelming resistance. Through stark, unflinching accounts, their sit-ins and Freedom Rides become acts of profound defiance, met with violence, imprisonment, and loss. The story, typeset with deliberate precision, bears witness to a movement pushed to its limits.

In the wake of the Voting Rights Act, a nation grapples with the bitter divide between political progress and the harsh realities of war and inequality. As the cost of Vietnam weighs heavily on American lives—especially in poor communities—frustration boils over into protest and unrest, exposing the deep fractures beneath the surface of national unity.

In "Chapter VIII, Children of the Empire: Vietnam: The Domino Theory," the U.S. establishes a semi-puppet regime in South Vietnam, facing resistance from a majority Buddhist population and mounting opposition from both northern and southern Communist forces. As Johnson shapes public perception through carefully curated narratives, the stage is set for a deeper entanglement in a conflict rooted in ideology, geography, and power.

In "Chapter VIII, Children of the Empire: The My Lai Massacre," the harrowing true story unfolds as U.S. soldiers carry out a brutal massacre of hundreds, including infants, in a Vietnamese village. Amid the horror, helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson and his crew intervene, risking their lives to save survivors. As the violence escalates, ordinary soldiers turn against their officers, sparking chaos and rebellion.

In "Chapter IX, Land of Burning Children: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?", Kennedy’s attempt to draw African Americans into his political coalition unfolds against a backdrop of persistent hardship, where legal progress fails to match the depth of inequality. The chapter captures the tension between hope and disillusionment, culminating in the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King.

In "Chapter IX, Land of Burning Children: War Resistance at Home," the Catonsville 9 set fire to draft records in a bold act of defiance against the Vietnam War, sparking a chain of resistance that leads the Berrigan brothers into hiding before their arrest. As student protests erupt across the country, authorities respond with violence at Kent State and Jackson State, while historian Howard Zinn joins a Vietnam Veterans Against the War march—only to be blinded by Mace and tear gas. The chapter, typeset in stark, urgent letters, captures the raw cost of dissent in a nation divided.

In "Chapter IX, Land of Burning Children: The Second Battle of Wounded Knee," the Oglala Sioux and allied activists take a stand at Wounded Knee, resisting what they see as a corrupt, federally-backed tribal leadership. Tensions escalate as federal agents arrive, leading to violence and a death, but a fragile peace is brokered through negotiation—only for the government to break its promises.

In "Chapter X, The Same Rotting Barrel: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," Daniel Ellsberg risks everything to expose the truth, secretly copying classified documents with Tony Russo and setting off a chain of events that challenges the power of the U.S. government. As the New York Times publishes the damning revelations, Ellsberg and Russo face arrest, only to find their fate turned by the very misconduct they sought to expose.

In "Chapter X, The Same Rotting Barrel: Hostage to Imperialism," the fallout from Watergate exposes a presidency in crisis, yet the deeper currents of American empire remain untouched. As Nixon resigns, his successors—Ford, Carter, and Reagan—carry forward the same pro-corporate, military-driven policies, revealing a system unchallenged by change. The story’s typeset letters lend a stark, unflinching tone to this examination of continuity in power.

In "Chapter XI, Resurgence of Empire: The Covert War in Central America," the hidden toll of U.S. intervention in the 1980s is laid bare, exposing the brutal consequences of foreign policy cloaked in ideological rhetoric. Through stark, unflinching detail, the chapter confronts the aftermath of U.S.-backed violence, focusing on the massacre at El Mozote and the devastating human cost of a covert war.

In this gripping chapter from *A People's History of American Empire*, the hidden machinations of the Iran-Contra scandal unfold—Reagan’s secret arms deals with Iran, the illegal funding of the Contras, and the tangled web of drug trafficking that followed. Amid the political fallout, a small town in Indiana makes an unexpected gesture: naming a street after Admiral Poindexter, only for a local man, Bill Breeden, to steal the sign in protest—becoming the sole individual to serve jail time over the affair.

In "Chapter XII, Covert Action and Reaction: Iran: Overthowing Democracy, Operation Ajax," the shadowy machinations of U.S. policymakers unfold as Wilber and Roosevelt orchestrate a ruthless campaign to destabilize Iran’s democratic government. With backroom deals, bribed officials, and the backing of the Shah, they install a military puppet while defying direct orders to halt the operation. The story chillingly captures how foreign intervention can dismantle self-rule from within.

In "Chapter XII, Covert Action and Reaction: Iran: Overthrowing Democracy, Rule and Ruin of the Shah," the story traces the Shah’s 26-year reign marked by repression and foreign backing, as growing unrest—fueled by Western exploitation and the exile of Ayatollah Khomeini—culminates in a revolution. When President Carter grants the Shah asylum in the U.S. for medical treatment, the move ignites fury among Iranians who see it as a bid to reinstate the monarchy, leading to the embassy takeover and the hostage crisis.

In "Chapter XII, Covert Action and Reaction: Permanent War: The Bipartisan Consensus," the arc of U.S. foreign policy from Carter to George W. Bush unfolds through stark, unflinching vignettes—backing the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, tacitly approving Iraq’s use of chemical weapons, enforcing sanctions that cost hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, and launching wars justified by claims of national security. The story reveals how bipartisan consensus on military intervention and covert action has shaped decades of conflict, with lasting human costs.