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[[Howard Zinn]] (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was a [[Communist]]<ref>[http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/vernon/100809 Howard Zinn: Communist liar]</ref> who is most famous for his book ''[[A People's History of the United States]]''.  The book, due largely to a hat tip from Matt Damon's character Will Hunting in the film ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', has sold over a million copies and gives a far-left interpretation of political history (see [[historical revisionism]]). Zinn's work manifests an inability or unwillingness to engage in objective analysis, and lacks contextual considerations, and instead his presentation of history is a polemic for liberal change. Zinn was very popular with liberal elites, and his book was made into a propagandistic film, ''The People Speak'', which the [[History Channel]] carried on cable television.

'''Howard Zinn''' (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was a [[Communist]]<ref>[http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/vernon/100809 Howard Zinn: Communist liar]</ref> who is most famous for his book ''[[A People's History of the United States]]''.  The book, due largely to a hat tip from Matt Damon's character Will Hunting in the film ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', has sold over a million copies and gives a far-left interpretation of political history (see [[historical revisionism]]). Zinn's work manifests an inability or unwillingness to engage in objective analysis, and lacks contextual considerations, and instead his presentation of history is a polemic for liberal change. Zinn was very popular with liberal elites, and his book was made into a propagandistic film, ''The People Speak'', which the [[History Channel]] carried on cable television.

Historian and author John Fea of Messiah College states that,

Historian and author John Fea of Messiah College states that,

<blockquote>Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.”<ref>Zinn, ''A People's History of the United States'', p. 646</ref></blockquote>  

<blockquote>Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.”<ref>Zinn, ''A People's History of the United States'', p. 646</ref></blockquote>  

''A People's History of the United States'' does not incorporate the newer theories of history, but provides an energetic heavy-handed attack on conservatives, business, and white men.  His book is stuck in 1950, methodologically, and does not appreciate the scholarship of the last 4 decades in the "new" intellectual, political, economic, diplomatic, military, cultural or social history. His "newest" ideas are that the white male "working class" -- as well as blacks, Indians, and women -- are victims of capitalism, a stock notion of 1930s [[Socialism|socialist]] philosophy regarding workers.  

''A People's History of the United States'' does not incorporate the newer theories of history, but provides an energetic heavy-handed attack on conservatives, business, and white men.  His book is stuck in 1950, methodologically, and does not appreciate the scholarship of the last 4 decades in the "new" intellectual, political, economic, diplomatic, military, cultural or social history. His "newest" ideas are that the white male "working class"—as well as blacks, Indians, and women—are victims of capitalism, a stock notion of 1930s [[Socialism|socialist]] philosophy regarding workers.  

Standford professor Sam Wineburg is critical of Zinn's research, citing many examples<ref>[http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Wineburg.pdf Samuel Wineburg, "Undue Certainty"]</ref>  in Zinn's "A People's History..."  that  (as reviewer David Plotnikoff states) show he "perpetrates the same errors of historical practice as the tomes it aimed to correct," that  "Zinn's desire to cast a light on what he saw as historic injustice was a crusade built on secondary sources of questionable provenance, omission of exculpatory evidence, leading questions and shaky connections between evidence and conclusions."<ref>[http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/december/wineburg-historiography-zinn-122012.html Zinn's influential history textbook has problems, says Stanford education expert]}</ref>   

Standford professor Sam Wineburg is critical of Zinn's research, citing many examples<ref>[http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Wineburg.pdf Samuel Wineburg, "Undue Certainty"]</ref>  in Zinn's "A People's History..."  that  (as reviewer David Plotnikoff states) show he "perpetrates the same errors of historical practice as the tomes it aimed to correct," that  "Zinn's desire to cast a light on what he saw as historic injustice was a crusade built on secondary sources of questionable provenance, omission of exculpatory evidence, leading questions and shaky connections between evidence and conclusions."<ref>[http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/december/wineburg-historiography-zinn-122012.html Zinn's influential history textbook has problems, says Stanford education expert]}</ref>   

In response to a [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) request by Cliff Kincaid,  Editor of [[Accuracy in Media]], on July 30, 2010, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) released a 423 page file on Howard Zinn.The FBI file reveals that while Zinn denied being a member of the CPUSA, several reliable informants in the party identified Zinn as a member who attended party meetings as many as five times a week.  

In response to a [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) request by Cliff Kincaid,  Editor of [[Accuracy in Media]], on July 30, 2010, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) released a 423 page file on Howard Zinn.The FBI file reveals that while Zinn denied being a member of the CPUSA, several reliable informants in the party identified Zinn as a member who attended party meetings as many as five times a week.  

The FBI first opened a domestic security investigation on Zinn  in 1949, which revealed Zinn’s activities in what were called [[Communist]] Front Groups, and received reports from informants that Zinn was an active member of the CPUSA, with one stating that he was "believed to be a CP member as of October, 1956."  In the 1960s, the Bureau took another look at Zinn on account of his criticism of the FBI’s civil rights investigations.  A 1964 FBI memorandum refers to Zinn as "a professor and writer who has a background of known membership in the Communist Party (CP) and has continued to demonstrate procommunist and anti-United States sympathies." It also reveals that while Zinn had denied membership in the CPUSA, his denial "was not supported by facts" - a reference to the substantial evidence and eyewitness testimony provided by informants in the CPUSA. Further investigation was made when Zinn traveled to North Vietnam with Daniel Berrigan as an anti-war activist. The investigation ended in 1974, and no further investigation into Zinn or his activities was made by the FBI.<ref>[http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/zinn_howard.htm Federal Bureau of Investigation, Howard Zinn]</ref><ref>[http://www.rightsidenews.com/2010073011179/editorial/leftist-qhistorianq-howard-zinn-lied-about-red-ties/print.html  Cliff Kincaid, ''Leftist "Historian" Howard Zinn Lied About Red Ties''] Friday, 30 July 2010 </ref>

The FBI first opened a domestic security investigation on Zinn  in 1949, which revealed Zinn’s activities in what were called [[Communist]] Front Groups, and received reports from informants that Zinn was an active member of the CPUSA, with one stating that he was "believed to be a CP member as of October, 1956."  In the 1960s, the Bureau took another look at Zinn on account of his criticism of the FBI’s civil rights investigations.  A 1964 FBI memorandum refers to Zinn as "a professor and writer who has a background of known membership in the Communist Party (CP) and has continued to demonstrate procommunist and anti-United States sympathies." It also reveals that while Zinn had denied membership in the CPUSA, his denial "was not supported by facts" - a reference to the substantial evidence and eyewitness testimony provided by informants in the CPUSA. Further investigation was made when Zinn traveled to North Vietnam with Daniel Berrigan as an anti-war activist. The investigation ended in 1974, and no further investigation into Zinn or his activities was made by the FBI.<ref>[http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/zinn_howard.htm Federal Bureau of Investigation, Howard Zinn]</ref><ref>[http://www.rightsidenews.com/2010073011179/editorial/leftist-qhistorianq-howard-zinn-lied-about-red-ties/print.html  Cliff Kincaid, ''Leftist "Historian" Howard Zinn Lied About Red Ties''] Friday, 30 July 2010</ref>

Ron Radosh, himself a former CPUSA member, also confirmed that Howard Zinn was a member of the CPUSA, and also left the party like himself, although what differed was their motives: Radosh realized that the Communist Party was antithetical to the American way, while Zinn left because "it [the CPUSA] wasn't revolutionary enough."

Ron Radosh, himself a former CPUSA member, also confirmed that Howard Zinn was a member of the CPUSA, and also left the party like himself, although what differed was their motives: Radosh realized that the Communist Party was antithetical to the American way, while Zinn left because "it [the CPUSA] wasn't revolutionary enough."

[[Category: Historians]]

[[Category:Historians]]

[[Category:Liberal Activists]]

[[Category:Liberal Activists]]

[[Category:Socialists]]

[[Category:Socialists]]