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Authors discuss historical perceptions in literature

Two authors who wrote to change perceptions of American history, Paul Lussier and Boston University Professor Emeritus Howard Zinn, participated in a discussion on the cultural impact of Lussier’s book on the American Revolution last night at Harvard University’s Sackler Museum.

“What is serious about his book is that the picture it painted is different from the one you usually hear,” Zinn said of Lussier’s novel, “Last Refuge of Scoundrels,” to a crowd of about 100.

Zinn and Lussier told the audience how novels such as Lussier’s and Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” help change the aspects of the American Revolution that are often taught to children in schools.

“American history, as taught in schools, present a lot of heroes. … All of those need to be taken down,” Zinn said.

“I never learned in school that … the long period before the Revolution was not the colonies against the British, but the rich people versus the poor people,” he continued.

Lussier agreed, saying his original goal in writing the book was to end historical myths taught in schools.

“I set out to create an alternative mythology to the cherry tree mythology,” said Lussier, referring to the tale of George Washington and the cherry tree.

“The man on the street, the facts of revisionism haven’t made a dent,” he continued. He said he wanted to make it his goal to make everyone aware of the true nature of the Revolution.

The true nature of the Revolution, Lussier argued, was that most people weren’t actually all that concerned with overthrowing British rule. “I saw people, well, taxes were a concern for some, but taxes did not loom,” he said, adding most of the colonists were only concerned about everyday things.

“I looked, in vain for evidence that independence, or freedom, had its foundation in taxes,” Lussier said.

Lussier’s novel is a fictional love story set during the American Revolution that includes many of the Founding Fathers as characters, and often highlights their faults.

“The Founding Fathers were mostly rich, white men who when they gathered in Philadelphia wanted to write a Constitution that benefited their class,” Zinn said.

“The fear of leveling made the Founding Fathers write things the way they are,” he continued.

Both Zinn and Lussier mentioned the protests that occurred during the American Revolution, noting the difference between the “War for Independence” and the “American Revolution.”

“Boston was a hotbed for these protests,” Lussier said. He mentioned different protests that aren’t taught, like those of the poor and those of women and those that are taught, like Shay’s Rebellion.

After speaking about the class problems in Revolutionary society, Zinn added that society hasn’t changed much.

“We need more concern with class conflict in American society,” he said.

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