Below is some very noteworthy history of the early pilgrims at Plymouth rarely taught today. But first, a short message about gratitude.

People who choose to recognize even the smallest blessing and make gratitude a habit, are happy, positive people. Why? Because in focusing on God supplying, they trust He will continue to provide blessings. And He does!

Those who choose to recognize every lack and make complaining a habit, are miserable negative people. Why? Because in focusing on what they don’t have, they lack confidence in God to provide.

When we thank God for what He has done, He gets the gratitude, the recognition, the thanks He so rightly deserves. We acknowledge Him as our helper, our provider, the One Who brings us His blessings!

In addition to that, scientific studies show how being grateful can dramatically affect your emotions and your physical body, including the brain, the heart, sleep and more!

And on top of that, there is another great benefit in being grateful to God. When we remember what God has done for us, our minds at that moment, are focused on, not on what we lack, but rather on what we have received from Him!

Those reminders build our confidence and trust in Him to continue to provide for us! (the studies talk about grateful people being happier – how sad do you feel when you’re thinking of something God blessed you with?!)

Gratitude builds our confidence and trust in God, and as a result, we bring God our petitions with greater expectations, greater confidence, and greater trust. We believe Him, because we remember what He has already done for us! What a great benefit to us for giving Him the thanks He so rightly deserves!

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

A Valuable History Lesson That We Have Forgotten

It is amazing how many people do not know the following very important history lesson about the Plymouth Pilgrims.  There are numerous articles one can easily access. And there are a number of books containing William Bradford’s personal accounts from his journal.

Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims practiced first hand, what could easily be identified as socialism. Did it work?

The original contract the Pilgrims entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store. Each member of the community was entitled to one common share.

Specifically, the contract read, “All such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provisions out of the common stock.” In other words, each person was to put into the common stock all he could, and take out his portion or his share.

All of the land they cleared and the buildings they built belonged to the common community as well. The plan seemed simple enough: equal distribution for everyone. But did it work?

William Bradford, the governor of the colony, saw the results of this first hand and recognized this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives. He saw not only was it not working, but if allowed to continue, it would threaten their very survival. Something needed to change!

Change

Changing something for the sake of change is not always the best decision. Changing to the wrong course usually ends in disaster. But the right change at the right time can bring tremendously positive results.

William Bradford, a God fearing man and true leader, decided to take bold action. He saw first hand putting all things into the common store meant that some people could put less in than others. And even if you put nothing in the common store, you could still take out your portion from the common store.

Bradford wrote, “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.”

He also wrote that “the strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes, than he that was weak.” As a result, some of the young and strong refused to work and the total amount of food produced was not adequate.

The results of their first two harvests were far, far from being abundant. Bradford knew if they were to survive, there must be change.

His Bold Plan

After the poor harvest of 1622, Bradford wrote, “they began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop.” They needed a very radical change to their current economic organization.

Bradford in effect abolished their practice of socialism. Instead, he gave each household a parcel of land and told them they could keep what they produced, or trade it away as they saw fit. In other words, he replaced socialism with a free market system that did a lot more than just put an end to the hard times.

As a direct result, the harvest of 1623 was much different; they had great abundance. Bradford wrote,” instead of famine now God gave them plenty and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many, for which they blessed God.” “Any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day.” In fact, in 1624, so much food was produced that the colonists were able to begin exporting corn.

In a number of places around the world, they have been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years. They try to redefine it, fine tune it, and re-invent it. But the Pilgrims decided early on to eliminate it.

The Pilgrims learned first hand that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. What Bradford did was to simply introduce free enterprise with one of the great foundational principles: private property. Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products.

Bradford changed the system from reliance on the “common store,” to self reliance. And with self reliance comes responsibility for one’s actions.  This, in part, laid the groundwork for understanding and declaring one of the “unalienable rights” we are all given by our Creator: the pursuit of happiness.

The Results Of Bradford’s Change

Bradford wrote, “This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” “In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves.”

This change that Bradford instituted was instrumental in the great prosperity of America that was to follow. It wasn’t long before they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. They were no longer just trying to survive. They were beginning to thrive.

Their profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London. That fact had huge repercussions. Their success and prosperity attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as, “The Great Puritan Migration.”

Not Just In Plymouth

The same scenario happened in other colonies as well. Many early groups of colonists set up socialist states, all with the same terrible results. What is striking is that the majority of the work was being done by only one-fifth of the people. The others, for various reasons, chose to not work but expected to be fed.

In the Virginia colonies, during the winter of 1609-10, called, “The Starving Time,” the population fell from five-hundred to sixty!  But Jamestown changed into a free market area and the results were just as dramatic as the results at Plymouth.

In 1614, Colony Secretary Ralph Hamor wrote that after they changed from the socialistic plan to free enterprise, there was, “plenty of food, which every man by his own industry may easily and doth procure.”

He went on to say something that is almost unbelievable. He said in comparison to the two systems, that “we reaped not so much corn from the labors of thirty men as three men have done for themselves now.”

Most everyone knows the traditional “Thanksgiving Story,”with the pilgrims sharing food with the native Indians.  But very few know this vital forgotten history lesson. It is not only noteworthy to remember, especially in today’s political climate, but it ought to be taught to our children.

From AHEF and Angela E. Kamrath:

“The Pilgrims’ early shift from a communal to a self-reliant economic system in Plymouth Colony exposed the practical flaws of the one and the qualities of the other system. While the communal system led to low morale, poor relations, under-performance, and lack of sustenance in the community; the system of self-reliance led to high morale, proper relations, self-sufficiency, and increase in the colony. This early trial and error in economics by this Christian people revealed the success of self-industry, led to an American view of work and reliance on God, and became a precursor to America’s free enterprise system.”

In 1789, in his first year as the first president of the United States, George Washington made a proclamation  When you read President Washington’s proclamation the many references to God indicate very clearly his heart as well as the heart of the New Nation.  He very deliberately recognized and was grateful for God’s help and blessings on this country.

We certainly do recognize God’s great blessings on Thanksgiving Day; blessings on our own lives and blessings on our nation.  But we can also remember to give thanks and show our gratitude to our loving God and Father each and every day.

Have A Great Thanksgiving Holiday!

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