From “Dead White Guys or What Your History Books Never Told You.”
On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs.
Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible. The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work.
“But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford’s detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness,” destined to become the home of the Kennedy family. “There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning.
During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford’s own wife – died of either starvation, sickness or exposure.
“When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats.” Yes, it was Indians that taught the white man how to skin beasts. “Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. “Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments.
Here is the part [of Thanksgiving] that has been omitted: The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share.
“All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well. They were going to distribute it equally. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well. Nobody owned anything. They just had a share in it. It was a commune, folks. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the ’60s and ’70s out in California – and it was complete with organic vegetables, by the way.
Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives.
He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace.
The Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened? It didn’t work! While most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years – trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it – the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently.
“‘The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years…that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,’ Bradford wrote. ‘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 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…that was thought injustice.’
Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products. And what was the result?
‘This had very good success,’ wrote Bradford, ‘for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.’
Remember THAT at Thanksgiving and you will be truly blessed.
Happy Holidays!
Are you a simpleton or just delusional? Taking the travails of 102 farmers living in a virtually uninhabited America in 1620 and extrapolating lessons to 300,000,000 plus people living in complex modern times is moronic.
whatttt!!! is a simpleton and borderline retarded. This article is an excellent example of the pitfalls of liberalism. If socialism works, show me one example of a flourishing country. We need to get the liberals out of the way and let the markets run the show. Pelosi, Obama, Clinton, Frank and the rest are all out to destroy our way of life. If you want to understand, read “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. The United States is going down the tubes if we let the stupid people who voted for Change rule the day. Where is Obama by the way? A leader for change should be doing something – repair the economy, lower taxes, do something, anything to stop the stock market slide…..
complex modern times?
Hey #2, Obama ISN’T President yet, this economic disaster is the result of REPUBLICAN policies ( you know, the ones where the markets are left to regulate themselves). Change can only BEGIN to happen come Jan. 20. In the meantime you might want to call W and give him a piece of your mind (not that you have much to spare).As to Mr. Crowley’s article, I think he was describing something more akin to communism than socialism but if you think that only an “every man for himself” policy can work, how do explain New York City, 8 million people living and thriving (more or less) and nary a farmer amongst them? It’s a “social contract” we pay taxes in exchange for things like roads, sewers, police and fire departments and get this, we own them collectively. Yeah,it’s all part of these complex modern times, unless of course you’re Amish.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH NO. 4…GIVE OBAMA A CHANCE…HE ISN’T PRESIDENT YET. THE ONE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A STUPID INCOMPETENT MORON WHO IS RIDICULED BY MOST OF THE WORLD.
While all of you are in debate about the economy, you are blind to the birth of Big Brother Government. Nothing will matter once you lose your freedom. Do you really think Big Brother Government is going to stop at the gathering of your medical data for nationalizing health care? We are free to voice our opinions today, but what for future generations?
Whatttttttttt
Marvin Ray
Are we living in a dictatorship? I seem to recall reading that we have three equal houses of government in the US. You know, Legislative Judicial and Executive branches. And who has been in charge of Congress during the demise of the stock market and Wall Street? Nancy Pelosi and friends.
While I may not be happy with the current administration we lost our manhood under a prior regime where international events set the stage for our loss of credibility in the world. It also strengthened Bin Laden and our ongoing effort to stop terrorism. In case you forgot let me name them for you. The June 25, 1996 attack at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, Oct 12, 2000 Navy destroyer USS Cole attacked in Aden, Yemen; Aug 7, 1998 where US Embassies were attacked in Nairobi Kenya and Dar el Salaam Tanzania on the same date.
According to my calendar George W Bush was not sworn into office until after every one of these tragic events.
If we put an end to Bin Laden after any one of these attacks we might have avoided the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. Just my opinion.
What!!!!, my friend… you are like far too many Americans. You need to understand the structure of your government and the powers that each branch holds. The President can not cause an economic crisis; it’s not within his powers. Mr. Gilbert is entirely correct in stating that the congress is to blame, for THEY are the legislators that write the laws that steer our economy. We have had a Democratic majority during these times. That is not debatable. This article is a great analogy for todays issues.
Ok, Mr. Complex Modern Times, you want a modern day example of why Socialism doesn’t work? Just look at Detroit and the Auto industry. You can’t continue to support people that don’t produce and expect to survive. And no, I’m not suggesting seniors be thrown out in the cold, but many of the “retired” people that the Auto makers are supporting are perfectly capable of working. You mentioned that New York is a social contract with everybody paying taxes. Where do you think the money for those taxes comes from? That’s right, from people working and earning money in the free market!
The problem with liberal relativists is that they don’t understand the concept of unchanging principals. Socialism (and it’s more brutal spin-off, communism)did not work, does not work, and will never work because it does not recognize basic human nature or the pricipal of rewarding hard work.