Governor Bradford's Journal: History
of Plymouth Plantation
http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/1650bradford.asp
First harvest (1621)
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up
their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in
health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were
thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing,
about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of
which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want;
and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which
this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by
degrees). And besides waterfowl there was a great store of wild
turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they
had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest,
Indian corn to the proportion. Which made many afterwards write so
largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were
not feigned but true reports.
Private and communal farming (1623)
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 thing
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; and 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 labor 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 labors 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
William Bradford: History of Plymouth
Plantation, c. 1650
Factiz that within the USA there is a serious struggle between
conservative-capitalism and liberal-socialism.
Factiz that communism (state/govt ownership of property) was tried here
in the USA in Colonial days starting the the colonies at Jamestown VA
and Plymouth MA.
The Mayflower Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact which gave the govt
ownership of all property including land, buildings, tools, and
products. Whatever was produced, especially food, was placed into a
commonwealth from which each man was to be given a full share for
himself and his wife and a half-share for each child; single men were
given only a full share for themselves.
Govt ownership of all property is communism regardless where or when it
occurs or whatitiz called.
Communism failed because individual incentives to work harder and
smarter were not happening and as a result people produced only whatwuz
needed to be proof that they deserved their share(s) of the
commonwealth.
Gov Bradford and his counselors decided that more stuff could be
produced if individuals owned all property including land, buildings,
tools, and products. They gave to each single man and each family a
plot of land and the right to own that land, the right to own buildings
erected on that land, the right to own tools, and the right to own
whateverwuz produced.
The result was, as Gov Bradford chronicled, that individuals began to
work harder and smarter to produce new tools and new ways of farming,
fishing and hunting, and there was thereby and therefore an increase in
the production of stuffs with a resulting successful barter economy
that was good for everyone.
And this was the beginning of capitalism in the
Americas—conservative-capitalism.
This quote, ...
The
experience that was had in this common course and condition [capitalism
replacing communism], 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; and 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.
... is Gov Bradford's assertion of the fact that—to paraphrase using
current political terms and phrases—capitalism worked better than
communism, specifically that the concepts and relevant principles of
the commonwealth/state ownership of property/communism did not work as
well to efficiently produce more products as did capitalism/individual
ownership of property is a stunning condemnation of communism.
This historical set of facts correlate to other historical facts
including the rise of corruption in the govt of Ancient Rome when
politicians learned that they could create an entitlement/welfare class
of voters who would vote for them if they first created the
entitlements and the resulting increase in taxes required for paying
for the entitlements/welfare became so great the productive Romans
either left the Roman state or otherwise did not support the Roman govt
when Rome was attacked by the Huns with the result that the
entitlement/welfare corruption was one of the reasons for the fall of
the Roman Empire.
Political theorists (including Thomas Jefferson and Alexis de
Tocqueville) have stated that there are two ways of destroying a
country/nation: (1) Military Conquest—caused by invading armies; (2)
Financial Ruin—caused by entitlement programs that eventually bankrupt
country's/nation's treasury.
Factiz that with the increase in the number and expenses of entitlement
programs the USA is headed for financial ruin.