Our Thanksgiving Ritual

The family has a Thanksgiving ritual. Each year, we recall the true meaning of the first Thanksgiving--unfortunately, this correct version is not the one taught in today's public schools: When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, they came as part of the Plymouth Bay Company. William Bradford, the local head of the company kept extensive journals, and his reflections and writing form the basis of this story. At first, the Plymouth Bay Company owned all the land, and the colonists were given what they needed to live. In return, they gave to the Plymouth Bay Company the fruits of their labor--pelts, meat they hunted, and their crops. In short, the colony was originally a commune employing Marxist economic theory--from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Unfortunately, the young healthy single male colonists soon discovered that they (the most productive members of the colony) were producing food for other mens' wives and children. Whether they worked hard, or little, they received the same benefit. So, human nature being what it is, they stopped working very hard. When less crops were produced, and food was scarce, they resorted to stealing and hoarding, and soon the colony was in dire straights. Over 50% of the colonists perished from the effects of malnutrition and the climate during the first two years. At that point, William Bradford wrote in his journal that it was time to "reassess the economic basis of the colony". He then gave each colonist a plot of land, and allowed them to keep the fruits of their labor, only remunerating the Plymouth Bay Company for their transportation and initial stake. Needless to say, when the colonists could benefit by working harder, they did. That year there were bountiful crops, starvation was never again a problem in the colony, and the future America was born. So, while the native Americans may have taught the colonists to fertilize with fish, and the colonists may have shared a meal with the local inhabitants, that is not the importance of the holiday. Thanksgiving is a celebration of free market capitalism, made possible by granting to individuals the rights to private property. America has prospered--not only because of its natural resources, and industrious people, for many nations have those--but because of its committment to the rights of the individual to the fruits of his labor. After the Soviets took over Russia, notions of liberty and of religion were kept alive in families by word of mouth, in small ways counteracting the lies of the government in power. As taxation and the welfare state continue to usurp the strength of our nation, in our little corner of America, on Thanksgiving, it seems more iimportant every year to pause to thank God and our founding fathers for their wisdom and our blessings, and by retelling the true story, to keep the spirit of liberty alive. Happy Thanksgiving.

The letter above was passed on via email today from a friend. I thought I'd check the Pilgrim story out since I'd never heard it told that way; below is from the horse's mouth.I found this through is 'The Modern History Sourcebook' online (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html)

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.

Just some trivia - Plymouth Rock is not the first place the Pilgrims landed. Nor was it Provincetown for those that have been there. They actually landed up the coast in Maine, in Damariscove, which had been a fishing outpost for about a 100 years before the pilgrims showed up. They purchased "coddes" so they would have food when they reached their destination. Two years later Edward Winslow of Plymouth returned to Damariscove to plead for more rations. 30 ships, were sent up to get the food without payment. In 1629 the Pilgrims once again asked for help from the people of Damariscove. This time they were less than enthusiastically greeted.
In 1671 the Puritans laid claim to the island of Damariscove and installed a military officer and constable. Two years later they started taxing Damariscove.
Some things never change.

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