Zinn 9

The main idea of this chapter is that although the slaves were freed they were still not granted the same rights and freedoms that whites were given. Zinn also brings up the few slave rebellions that took place in the south and how the plantation owners crushed such rebellions.

The main argument of this chapter is that although the blacks were freed most would turn a blind eye to unequal wages and poor treatment they received because to completely end slavery and give all equal wages would not only take away white privilege but it would also destroy the southern economy. Zinn also talks about how the rich white used poor white to control the blacks and that when blacks and poor whites did work together they were separated to prevent an up rise against the rich plantation owners. Zinn uses the building of the Brunswick canal to show that blacks were kept apart from the Irish. Zinn also talks about how poor whites were not permitted to fraternize with the slaves because the plantation owners feared that poor whites would take sympathy on the blacks and help to plain massive rebellions.

Zinn’s chapter 9 was really nothing new, although it did present some new information most of what was said has been presented in previous chapters. Many of the ideas are getting old and Zinn only brings in new evidence to the chapters but does not share any new ides with his reader. This makes Zinn’s chapters very dry and repetitive. Zinn also never moves away from the subject of slavery. In a book called “A People’s History of the United States” he only talks about one kind of people. Zinn never writes about Native Americans, Mexicans, or any of the other inhabitants of this country.

I think this chapter only gave information that has already been presented. He gives no new ideas or new thoughts on the subject so I think it’s very repetitive and boring. When reading this chapter I had a difficult time remembering what had been said in this chapter and what had been said in previous chapters.