What Howard Zinn Got Wrong
This article examines the legacy of historian Howard Zinn, questioning the long-term validity of his 'bottom-up' approach to American history. It explores how his work shifted the historical narrative while facing criticism for being ideologically driven.
Why it matters
Zinn's work remains a central pillar in debates over how American history is taught and interpreted in the modern political climate.
The historian believed that empowering the people would improve society. History hasn’t always proved him right.
Marilyn Humphries / Alamy September 1, 2026, 7:30 AM ET Share Save “What would Howard say?” This question, which Dave Zirin reports being “asked repeatedly” while he was working on his new biography of Howard Zinn , underscores how unusual a figure his subject cut in contemporary American life. Most historians live and die in relative obscurity. But 16 years after Zinn’s death, many people still look to him, not just as a scholar but as a kind of sage.
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