Many of us are familiar with the general story of the first Thanksgiving, about how the Pilgrims in Plymouth endured tremendous hardship, and were rescued by the native tribe, with whom they shared a celebratory feast in the autumn of 1621. The rest of the story, in which the colony continued to struggle for the next two years, usually isn’t taught in school, and it’s easy to understand why.
Although the Pilgrims learned how to plant corn and physically adapt to their new environment, their political system set them up for failure. As per its charter, Plymouth Plantation was founded with communal property rights, and the government ensured that everyone received an equal amount of food, regardless of the effort they contributed. Without any incentive to work harder, the strongest Pilgrims became lazy. This caused the food shortages to persist, and led to an epidemic of crime.
By 1623, the Pilgrims wised up, and adopted a new system which endowed each family with private property. Families were allowed to keep all the crops they grew on their property, and sell the excess. Corn production soared so much that the colony began to export it, and the Pilgrims never went hungry again.
The Governor of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford, described the miraculous transformation as such:
“All this while no supply was heard of, neither knew they when they might expect any. So they began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery. At length, after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advice of the chiefest amongst them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves; in all other things to go on in the general way as before. And so assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end, only for present use (but made no division for inheritance) and ranged all boys and youth under some family. This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.
The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato's and other ancients applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For the young men, that were most able and fit for labour and service, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized in labours and victuals, clothes, etc., with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some indignity and disrespect unto them. And for men's wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it. Upon the point all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought themselves in the like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men, yet it did at least much diminish and take off the mutual respects that should be preserved amongst them. And would have been worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none object this is men's corruption, and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.”
Imagine that. Over 150 years before the founding of the United States, the philosophy of individual liberty triumphed over collectivism in North America.
