A People’s History of the United States Summary

History is written by the victors—but in truth, it belongs to those who refused to be forgotten.

1. The Genocide of Native Americans

The foundation of the United States is steeped in the suffering and extermination of Native populations. Christopher Columbus is often idolized, but his actual intentions were chillingly exploitative. Columbus and his men subjugated the Arawak people, whom they enslaved, raped, and killed in pursuit of gold. Within decades of Columbus’s arrival, entire indigenous populations, like the Arawaks, were annihilated due to violence, slavery, or disease, many of which were deliberately inflicted.

When English settlers arrived in future colonies like Virginia and Massachusetts, they implemented similar tactics, leading to the genocide of tribes such as the Powhatan and the Pequot. These atrocities were framed as “necessary” for progress. The arrival of settlers marked not only widespread death but the erasure of indigenous cultures, which they deemed inferior to European customs.

This extermination did not occur silently—it was met with resistance. Tribes like the Iroquois maintained communal land ownership and matrilineal traditions that defied European values, angering settlers further, often leading to escalated violence against Native societies.

Examples

• Columbus enslaved Arawak people and killed those who failed to produce gold.
• Settlers in Virginia destroyed entire tribes, labeling it “progress.”
• Smallpox-infected blankets were distributed to decimate Native populations.

2. Slavery and the African Holocaust

Indigenous resistance to enslavement pushed early colonists to turn to Africa for slaves. Millions of Africans were forcibly taken to the Americas under brutal conditions. On slave ships, Africans were packed so tightly that nearly one-third died on the journey. For those who survived, life in America became equally harsh under plantation systems.

Despite immense suffering, slaves exhibited continuous resistance. Plans for revolts, such as the 1712 New York slave rebellion, were met by extreme measures from slave masters intent on oppressing them further. Lawmakers deepened racial divides by banning interactions between black slaves and poor whites—the ruling class feared that a united uprising could threaten their wealth.

By the 18th century, slavery had become deeply entrenched in U.S. society, shaping its economy and cementing racial oppression as a social system that persists today.

Examples

• Millions of Africans were enslaved and forced onto tightly packed ships, with many dying of suffocation and disease.
• Slaves planned revolts, such as the 1712 uprising in New York, despite harsh reprisals.
• Plantation systems thrived by creating laws to ensure racial divisions and preserve power for wealthy landowners.

3. A Government Built for the Wealthy

The U.S. government was constructed to protect the interests of wealthy property owners from its inception. The Constitution avoided mentioning non-property owners, slaves, or women, portraying a nation designed for the elite. Early laws ensured political power stayed with the rich—a candidate for Governor in Maryland, for example, needed to own 5,000 pounds worth of property.

This imbalance enabled the richest members of society to dominate decision-making. By 1770, the richest 1 percent of Americans controlled 44 percent of the country’s wealth. Laws were intentionally written against cross-racial or class alliances, formulating divides meant to constrain lower-class uprisings.

Economic inequality today is rooted in this early government design, benefitting the powerful at the expense of those without resources.

Examples

• Founding fathers, like George Washington, were wealthy landowners and slaveholders.
• Early U.S. policies prevented poor or property-less citizens from voting.
• By 1770, the top 1 percent controlled nearly half the country’s wealth.

4. Women Were Marginalized but Fought Back

Early American society viewed women as submissive companions to men, with no political or social power. Women arriving in Jamestown in 1619 were sold as wives to male settlers. Their lives as servants were grueling; they often endured physical abuse and endless labor with little support.

Still, women resisted these oppressive conditions by striking at textile mills, publishing, and forming social movements. Stanton and Mott collaborated on the Women’s Rights Convention in 1840, igniting organized activism. Over time, literacy among women increased, serving as a stepping stone for broader social reforms.

Their resistance laid the groundwork for women’s suffrage and later feminist movements, archetypes of resilience against oppression.

Examples

• Elizabeth Sprigs’ letters detailed abuse as a servant in colonial America.
• The Factory Girls Association formed to combat textile mill mistreatment.
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott hosted the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1840.

5. American Expansion Violently Displaced Natives and Nations

The Trail of Tears exemplifies the forced displacement of Native Americans under U.S. expansionist policies. The Cherokee suffered immensely during forced winter marches, with 4,000 of 17,000 dying of hunger or disease when pushed west by government orders. Treaties that promised land security were frequently broken.

Expansionist ambitions also led to brutal wars, such as the Mexican-American War in 1846. President James Polk provoked Mexico into war, securing California and other territories after years of violent conflict. These conquests epitomized the combination of manifest destiny rhetoric and capitalist greed.

Examples

• The Cherokee Nation lost thousands during the Trail of Tears migration.
• Polk’s campaign led to the annexation of California after war with Mexico.
• Native treaties promising land protection were systematically torn apart.

6. The Civil War Maintained Power Dynamics, Not Racial Equality

While the Civil War ended slavery, the real motivation behind the conflict wasn’t justice but Union preservation. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime tactic to weaken the South rather than a pure humanitarian act. Post-war policies, like reversing the land allocation for freed slaves, preserved white supremacy.

Laws passed after the war further entrenched inequality. Black Americans remained disenfranchised, and racial barriers in voting and land ownership ensured systemic racism thrived.

Examples

• The Emancipation Proclamation only targeted Southern territories opposing the Union.
• Freed slaves were denied land previously reserved for them by General Sherman.
• Racist laws restricted voting and property rights for former slaves.

7. Unionization Empowered Workers for the First Time

During the industrial boom of the 1800s, exploited laborers challenged elite companies by forming unions. Inspired by successes in Europe, tenant farmers and factory workers joined forces to resist unjust wages and working conditions. Prominent labor actions, such as the Anti-Renters’ revolt and nationwide mill strikes, organized marginalized communities against capitalist systems.

Despite violent suppression, workers created lasting improvements. Unions laid the foundation for labor protections that persist today, representing collective power in action.

Examples

• Farmers united as Anti-Renters, gaining significant political leverage in New York.
• A 1,800-strong tenant farmers’ protest challenged exploitative landlords.
• Factory workers in Massachusetts formed a union to improve unsafe mill conditions.

8. War as a Tool for Corporate Power

WWI and WWII reflected the prioritization of corporate interests masked as national duty. During WWI, the U.S. downplayed its economic motives, like selling billions in arms, while silencing anti-war dissent with heavy penalties. WWII similarly prioritized business profits over human rights, with defense budgets skyrocketing permanently afterward.

Military escalation solidified corporate-government ties, turning war into an industry.

Examples

• The Lusitania was carrying weapons, undermining claims of innocence.
• WWII defense contracts earned immense profits for General Motors and others.
• Military spending rose drastically, from $12 billion in 1950 to nearly $46 billion by 1960.

9. Post-War Policies Proved US Global Greed

Through the Vietnam War and beyond, U.S. military actions were driven by economic interests rather than democratic ideals. The Vietnam conflict resulted in mass civilian casualties and devastated the nation. Later, secret deals to counter leftist movements in Latin America underscored U.S. interference, as seen in Nicaragua.

The United States leveraged military might to secure resources or suppress socialism abroad, often at the expense of millions of foreign civilians.

Examples

• Over 450 civilians were massacred in the Vietnamese My Lai 4 village.
• Reagan funded Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries to suppress Sandinista reforms.
• Operation Desert Storm prioritized oil control while erasing Iraqi cities.

Takeaways

1. Seek alternative narratives beyond traditional history texts—advocate for history from the perspective of marginalized voices.
2. Support systemic reforms addressing inequality, particularly in wealth and race, to challenge long-standing systems of oppression.
3. Question justifications for military conflicts and consider their roles in bolstering corporate profit rather than public welfare.