HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

The Pilgrims and Property Rights: How our ancestors got fat & happy

Views:893
@ReasonVids

The Pilgrims founded their colony at Plymouth Plantation in December 1620 and promptly started dying off in droves.

As the colony's early governor, William Bradford, wrote in "Of Plymouth Plantation":

"That which was most sadd & lamentable was, that in 2. or 3. moneths time halfe of their company dyed."

When the settlers finally stopped croaking, they set about creating a heaven on earth, a society without private property, where all worked for the common good. Everything was shared. Especially bitching and moaning about working for the common good. Bradford again:

"Yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour and service did repine that they should spend their time and streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, with out any recompense....And for men's wives to be commanded to doe service for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brooke it."

With nobody working, everybody was suffering. And in case you think nobody was working simply because they couldn't understand a damn thing Bradford was saying, chew on this: In 1623, Bradford and the other leaders

"Assigned to every family a parceel of land...this had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more torne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means the Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente."

In no time at all "any generall wante of famine hath not been amongest them since to this day."

America would never go hungry again. So this week, before you drift into your annual tryptophan-induced coma, don't forget to give thanks to the true patron of this holiday feast: property rights.

For more on this topic, including controversy over whether the pilgrims were proto-communists, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/1515

Approximately 2.30 minutes.

Produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie. Voices by Meredith Bragg and Austin Bragg.

Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable versions of all our videos.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

reason.tv
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason magazine
,
reason foundation
,
pilgrims
,
thanksgiving
,
property
,
property rights
,
plymouth rock
,
plymouth plantation
,
bradford
,
indians
,
first thanksgiving
,
meredith bragg
,
nick gillespie
,
austin bragg
    Thumbnail for Have California Democrats Turned Their Backs on Social Justice? A Conversation with Chris Reed9:21
    Have California Democrats Turned Their Backs on Social Justice? A Conversation with Chris Reed
    ReasonVids
    912 views
    Thumbnail for Blue haired land whale accept to have her hair shaved off to get a mystery box reward...0:57
    Blue haired land whale accept to have her hair shaved off to get a mystery box reward...
    AOUisgay
    542 views
    Thumbnail for bro and his reflection0:15
    bro and his reflection
    bestofupgoat
    385 views
    Thumbnail for Car Out10:00
    Car Out
    stumble_bro
    444 views
    Thumbnail for Creating a Free State: Filmmaker Christina Heller on Building a Libertopia in New Hampshire8:48
    Creating a Free State: Filmmaker Christina Heller on Building a Libertopia in New Hampshire
    ReasonVids
    1022 views
    Thumbnail for Arab Spring Update: Freedom House's Arch Puddington on How 2012 Will Be Like 1989.4:56
    Arab Spring Update: Freedom House's Arch Puddington on How 2012 Will Be Like 1989.
    ReasonVids
    982 views
    Thumbnail for Five Card Stud | YouTube Movies1:42:40
    Five Card Stud | YouTube Movies
    invidious
    53 views
    Thumbnail for Halo 4 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 8 - Campaign Mission 4 - The Gun Show (H4) | theRadBrad16:34
    Halo 4 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 8 - Campaign Mission 4 - The Gun Show (H4) | theRadBrad
    invidious
    374 views
    Thumbnail for Steep anglezzz0:10
    Steep anglezzz
    Jarental
    343 views
    Thumbnail for They Finally Admitted It | Live From The Lair13:21
    They Finally Admitted It | Live From The Lair
    Terrence Popp
    2310 views
    Thumbnail for Interruption to Cascades A to Z | Nick Zentner0:54
    Interruption to Cascades A to Z | Nick Zentner
    science.topic
    87 views
    Thumbnail for What is a Coulee? - 2 Minute Geology2:36
    What is a Coulee? - 2 Minute Geology
    science.topic
    101 views
    Thumbnail for I Glued My Balls to My Butthole Again1:00
    I Glued My Balls to My Butthole Again
    bestofupgoat
    347 views
    Thumbnail for The Locavore's Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000-Mile Diet5:45
    The Locavore's Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000-Mile Diet
    ReasonVids
    921 views
    Thumbnail for Quantum Locking Will Blow Your Mind—How Does it Work? | The Action Lab17:24
    Quantum Locking Will Blow Your Mind—How Does it Work? | The Action Lab
    science.topic
    72 views
    Thumbnail for Judge Napolitano: Enough Evidence 'to Justify About Three or Four Articles of Impeachment.'28:47
    Judge Napolitano: Enough Evidence 'to Justify About Three or Four Articles of Impeachment.'
    ReasonVids
    1014 views
    Thumbnail for Switch Pro with 8GB RAM Upgrade | UFD Tech0:52
    Switch Pro with 8GB RAM Upgrade | UFD Tech
    invidious
    274 views
    Thumbnail for Explosively hydroforming a steel sphere0:18
    Explosively hydroforming a steel sphere
    bestofvoatxyz
    1740 views
    Thumbnail for Can Bitcoin Survive a Hard Fork? Xapo's Wences Casares on Block Size and Bitcoin's Future10:04
    Can Bitcoin Survive a Hard Fork? Xapo's Wences Casares on Block Size and Bitcoin's Future
    ReasonVids
    908 views
    Thumbnail for Quick Stable Diffusion Linux Install | DadyShok1:36
    Quick Stable Diffusion Linux Install | DadyShok
    doom.topic
    403 views
    Thumbnail for The Best & Worst Moments of the South Carolina GOP Debate5:08
    The Best & Worst Moments of the South Carolina GOP Debate
    ReasonVids
    1006 views
    Thumbnail for I WANT YOUR CLUNK - THE CASH FOR CLUNKERS EXTRAVAGANZA!!!2:04
    I WANT YOUR CLUNK - THE CASH FOR CLUNKERS EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
    ReasonVids
    888 views
    Thumbnail for VINICIUS JR WANTS REVENGE WITH HIS NEW HAIRSTYLE 🤯🔥HE COOKED HIS TEAMMATES 🔥 | FutVibes0:29
    VINICIUS JR WANTS REVENGE WITH HIS NEW HAIRSTYLE 🤯🔥HE COOKED HIS TEAMMATES 🔥 | FutVibes
    invidious
    117 views
    Thumbnail for The Absurdity of Masks and Untested Vaccines 10:22
    The Absurdity of Masks and Untested Vaccines
    bestofvoatxyz
    920 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: The Fight Against Food Trucks5:30
    Stossel: The Fight Against Food Trucks
    ReasonVids
    928 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason.tv
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason magazine
,
reason foundation
,
pilgrims
,
thanksgiving
,
property
,
property rights
,
plymouth rock
,
plymouth plantation
,
bradford
,
indians
,
first thanksgiving
,
meredith bragg
,
nick gillespie
,
austin bragg
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle