Racism is not inherently placed in the hearts of people but instead was planted by rich merchants and other elites to create a hierarchy that finds its strength in prejudice and false senses of superiority. This is the core of Zinn’s argument. He theorizes that racism was created as a means of control to counteract the crusade of the lower classes to take back land and money from the upper classes. The crux of this theory relies on the infamous Bacon’s Rebellions where the color line was broken via rage stemming from poor treatment. Additionally Zinn hypothesizes that the American Revolution was the work of American elite to take power away from the British as they saw no advancement in being the subjects of a vassal state.