Zinn Ch. 2

I believe what Zinn is trying to tell his readers is "If racism can't be shown to be natural, then it is the result of certain conditions, and we are impelled to eliminate those conditions." In my words, he means racism didn't just happen one day and everyone knows this, but if it didn't, then where did it start and and how so we can make it straight again, before racism.

Zinn gives us great detail on how the African's became slaves in and around the world. The new settlers of America couldn't use Native Americans. There were to many Indians to overpower with their superior weapons, and that made the English mad. So they went on rampages to show Indians that they were better than them, but in the long run the Indians won because they had corn. So Americans started bringing over African servants not yet slaves like most of Europe had already. Since they weren't considered slaves yet, they pretty much had the same rights though, which were none. Whites fused it into the Africans heads that they were inferior to them, and after the horrible conditions the blacks took to get there, it was no wonder why they just said ok. But since there were so many slaves, whites were always afraid of a rebellion, so they always made examples out of blacks and punished them inhumanly at times.

Do you think slavery could ever have been avoided in the U.S. or was it needed to grow?
Do you think you would have acted the way black people did back then after that grueling trip, or not?

I love to read this book. Every time it is assigned i loose track of time reading it. I love how Zinn gives us great details and quotes. He does a great job at really giving the reader the thought of almost being there. I wasn't as shocked to read this chapter though, i already knew most of the information. I just had never thought how to tie it all back to were everyone went wrong with racism. He never gives us a solution and i think thats smart, but i still loved the chapter.