Howard Zinn Chapter Summary

Howard Zinn argues throughout his book that one of the main purposes of the state is to establish long term stability of the system. In the United States during the late 1800 's and early 1900 's, there was a rapid incline in industrialization. This meant more factories were popping up trying to take advantage of the time and pursue their American dream in the realm of free enterprise. In this pursuit however businesses rarely gave attention to the needs of the workers. The end goal was to make capital to invest in capital, so anywhere money could be saved or earned businesses took full advantage of it. Workers rights were very minimal and their was uproar among the workers. Many lower class impoverished workers forced to terrible conditions and

This would damage business which would therefore damage the economy. The government would have to step in, whether directly or indirectly to maintain the stability of the system. Many workers created unions to protect workers and bully companies. “With the miners resisting, refusing to give in, the mines not able to operate, the Colorado governor (referred to by a Rockefeller mine manager as 'our little cowboy governor ') called out the National Guard, with the Rockefellers supplying the Guard 's wages” (Zinn Online). The government was willing to defend the capitalist businesses from socialist workers demanding more rights. The government is willing to maintain the system and suppress socialism by arming businesses against strikes. This forces unions and workers to comply with business and therefore destroy socialist threats from unions. The government made hundred of arrests “The strike had been peaceful. But when it was over, there were raids and arrests: on the Socialist party headquarters, on a printing plant. Thirty-nine members of the IWW were jailed as “ 'ring- leaders of anarchy '”.(Zinn Online). By doing this it gave the public a negative connotation of socialists as