A Thanksgiving Story

We were told the story of Thanksgiving ad nauseam in elementary school - the Pilgrims arrived in America, and facing an unexpected harsh winter, almost starved to death. They were then saved by the Native American Indians, who showed them how to grow corn and catch wild birds. And then the first Thanksgiving feast happened. End of  story.

But is that what really happened?

Not at all. The original pact that the Pilgrims entered into together called for all their product (produce, clothing, et cetera) to be put into a "common store," and every one would get a "common share." In other words, the Pilgrims were socialists - they did not get to keep their earnings, instead they had to "spread the wealth around."

So how did that work out for the Pilgrims? Not so well. Why plant crops when you will still get fed? Why sew clothing when you will still be clothed? Soon, the nonworking Pilgrims outnumbered the working ones. So quickly after the socialist experiment started, the Pilgrims were cold and hungry. Not surprising, right?

Faced with potentially being wiped out by dwindling food stock in winter, William Bradford (the leader of the Pilgrims) decided to toss out the socialism model, and usher in a free-market model. The Pilgrims were all given a plot of land to do with what they pleased, and naturally after that no one went hungry or cold. More specifically, now that Pilgrims could buy and sell (and own) goods, there was a motive to be a productive member of their society, and so that society flourished. The Pilgrims short socialist experiment was over, and the long and glorious history of capitalism in America was beginning.

What's the moral of the story? Socialism has been tried, and it quickly failed. Miserably. Why go back to ideas that were abandoned in the 17th century? Be thankful this year that while our capitalist system is under attack, we have the freedom to protect and preserve it. You and I have learned this lesson, but people in power have not. Feel free to spread this story around.

Have a happy, safe and blessed Thanksgiving.

Comments

[Guy White]

thanks - we all have so much to be thankful for