Who wrote A People's History of the United States?

• A. Howard Zinn
• B. Noam Chomsky
• C. Doris Kearns Goodwin
• D. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing who produced a landmark alternative view of American history. A People's History of the United States is famous for telling U.S. history from the perspectives of ordinary people and marginalized groups, rather than focusing on presidents, battles, or elites. The author most closely associated with this work is Howard Zinn, a historian and social critic who emphasized democratic ideals, social justice, and the voices of those who fought for change. The book was published in 1980 and is known for its provocative, questioning stance toward traditional narratives that often celebrate national triumphs without highlighting struggles like labor movements, civil rights fights, and indigenous displacement. The other individuals listed are notable in their own right—Noam Chomsky in linguistics and political thought, Doris Kearns Goodwin as a prominent presidential historian, and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. as a respected historian of American politics—but none of them authored this particular history.