A people’s history of the United States by Howard is a book that explores United States history through a variety of perspectives. In chapter 2 of this book, Zinn specifically talks about the start and rise of slavery in the United States, and the process through which slavery was able to occur and eventually flourish. He talks about 6 specific conditions that allowed and were needed for slavery. Zinn uses historical examples to how these conditions affected crucial decisions and events in history. These conditions don’t only apply to the conception of slavery. They play a role in keeping the system of oppression in place as well. The conditions are the desperation/weakness of the oppressors, the helplessness of the oppressed, the profitability for the oppressors, the need for superior status and to control, and prohibition on collaboration. Zinn explores these conditions in large part to find out what compels oppressors to do so and what they gain from it, how and why they maintain such a such a system, and why the oppressed are often unsuccessful when righting against such powers. The Jamestown colony had one purpose: find gold and take it back to England. To do so, a handful of noble and wealthy families were brought to the America in hopes of finding even greater riches. However, these families weren’t used to having to do labor, which is why many starved to death. They also fought constantly with the natives, even though some natives helped keep them alive by teaching them how to fish and fend for themselves. Eventually the colony became more stable and they started growing a dependable crop, tobacco. Unwilling to do the ‘dirty work’ themselves, the Jamestown colony began to import slaves to work on tobacco farms, as well as white indentured servants, who would work for 7 years with the promise of land. This is an example of the first condition, the desperation/weakness of the oppressors. To establish a well functioning economy, they needed more labor, and unwilling to do it themselves, they turned to Africans to work as slaves. The settlers justified this by the existence of slavery in Africa. The second condition, the helplessness of the oppressed, is apparent in the process of slavery itself. They’re brought to America chained down inside a boat while traveling the middle passage, a passage where more than a third of people died due to disease during the trip alone. Once brought to America, they were forced to work in the fields day and night by the settlers who we suppose were armed. In such a situa