Final answer:
Zinn uses evidence such as the economic importance of slavery, the influence of southern planters on the federal government, and pro-slavery arguments to support the assertion that the US government supported slavery despite the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
Zinn argues that the US government supported slavery despite the Civil War. He uses evidence such as the economic importance of slavery to the Southern economy, the influence of southern planters on the federal government, and the pro-slavery arguments made by slavery's apologists. For example, Zinn points out that slavery was crucial to the Southern economy as it provided cheap labor for crops like rice, cotton, and tobacco. Additionally, he highlights that many Southern planters held positions of power in the federal government, allowing them to influence policies that supported slavery. Furthermore, he discusses the arguments made by slavery's apologists, who claimed that slavery was a positive good for the United States and argued for its expansion throughout the Americas.