Why I am an optimist (Thanksigving edition)

by Art Woolf

The early years in Plymouth were hard, with 45 of the 102 settlers dying during their first winter of 1620-21.  Governor Bradford realized that the settlement's organization needed to be changed from one based on what today we might call communitarianism to one based on individual ownership.  As Bradford  later wrote

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

That is, democracy, private property rights, and the appropriate incentives were seen as being key to the colony's success.  The result?  Again, from Bradford:

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.

As an added bonus, this promoted equality of the sexes:

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.

As long as we don't forget those lessons, we will celebrate many more happy and productive Thanksgivings.

Comments

[Bill]

Thank you for the myth busting account. This lesson will never make it to the classrooms. The philosophies of the NEA and the radical progressive movement rule there. According to their script, the Indians saved the Plymouth colony from starvation by giving them food. White Europeans then showed their gratitude by wiping out the Indians. Such is the only lesson they are going to teach, ignoring facts revealing that their account is only a part of the truth, and a self-serving part at that. If you want your kids to learn the whole truth, you have to lead them to it yourself.