Self Help In Hard Times Zinn Analysis

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Recommended: Essays on america during the great depression

Self-Help in Hard Times by Howard Zinn In Zinn's latest article, he speaks of the aftermath from World War one which lead into the great depression. Zinn’s powerful analysis on the 20’s and 30’s brings us into depth with the effective strikes by unions, the violence that followed them and, the growth of the nation's culture and technology. The organization of IWW was the first of many strikes brought up by Zinn. The IWW’s strike may have been one of the biggest and most fearful strikes of the time period. The strike started in February 1919 in Seattle, WA. The walkout of nearly 100,000 workers brought the city to a substantial halt for five days. The strike was quiet and orderly, citizens handled it quite well. The strikers organized milk …show more content…

Jazz, was a new fun and prosperous music style that stole the heart of the 20’s. Unemployment was also down in the early 20’s and families were doing well due to new things such as credit. New appliances for houses made things easier for women so they would not have to stay at home all day long. Woman could go out and earn more of a living and exercise their newly obtained right to vote. While the classes were slightly gaining more, it still didn’t take away from the fact that the upper class (10%) was to benefit the most in the time period and, that the poor would still very much struggle but, a broader middle class was beginning to see a wider range. All of this was a great asset to the country until the depression would hit in the 30’s and, the country would have to work twice as hard to build itself back up again. Howard Zinn is a compelling writer in the context of American history. While sometimes his opinions may be overbearing in certain topics, his overall analysis of America's struggles during the 1920’s and 1930’s captured and focussed my attention to understand the situation more as a whole. I especially learned of the ever growing determination of a union striker during the time. Zinn pinpoints key information and details it and as always he seems to enlighten the

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