Pilgrims and Capitalism

Thanksgiving conjures up images of turkeys, football, family, and thankkfulness across the American nation. Pioneers of early America bore the brunt of unmerciful oceans and rickety boats with faith and hope driving them past their fears. And of course, Jamestown became a lesson for all people with aspirations that not all circumstances turn out well.

In retrospect, historians have analyzed the reasons for so many tragic deaths in the early days of the pilgrims' quests. Already in America with plenty of time to plant, grow, develop, and store food and goods, why did such smart people have such brutish outcomes? Was it the weather? Was it the Indians? Was it lack of supplies? Was it lack of food?

Or could it be that the lack of capitalism might have something to do with the lack of prosperity and death endured by the early European settlers?

The early finance and shipping companies exacted heavy prices upon citizens of the "Old World" as these citizens boarded to start a new life. Seven years of labor and toil creating product and goods in the new nation was a standard-type contract for early settlers crossing the ocean. As indentured servants, seven years was a long time. Of course, as is human nature, how much toiling would you and I do to receive our stamp of freedom in the new world?

With hundreds of families having trekked to the East Coast in newly established colonies, what happened? According to Thomas Dilorenzo's "How Capitalism Saved America", early settlers began producing crops and goods for sure. But there was no incentive to be wise, creative, or industrious. After all, weren't the bulk of the products already promised to the financing and shipping companies for the next seven years in payment for being transported to the new world?
Colonists found themseleves in the unenviable position of working hard labor for others with no incentive to provide a significanly better life for themselves of their families. Thus, when working, maximum output was not the goal. Getting by with completing as little work as possible was most likely the goal.

The results were disasterous. Starvation set in. Production was lacking. Many individuals presumed that others would bear the brunt of laboring in the fields. If only ten percent of settlers chose to be lazy, the colonies might succeed during the hard days of winter. What if 30 or 40% of settlers tended to family matters and other issues instead of crop production? Absolute disaster ensues.

So poorly did the finance and transport corporations get paid under the indentured servitude model, that changes were made to incentivize better work ethic. Ten acrese of land was granted to all individuals colonizing the east coast. Neither the king, the finance companies, nor the shipping companies could touch the productive capacities of labor employed in the "new ownership" model. A colonist could earn as much has he could produce!

Capitalism was born in the colonies. The results were nothing short of spectacular. The finance and shipping business began receiving much larger payments once the ownership model was created over the seven year agreement. And now the settlers had huge incentives to produce large quantities of goods so they could be sold and wealth created.

The lessons drawn from the early Pilgrims are immense. The burden of taxation and oversight when overdone is destructive to ingenuity, creativity, and the spirit of living. Modern day socialism borders on such destruction.

The liberal Democratic party bears the insignia of these designs:

America's greatness has been formed in the womb of faith in God and through the employment of capitalism as the modus operandi. Dreams, desires, and incentives were the engine of economic growth then just as they are today. Destroy a person's incentives to produce and he will quit producing for everyone. Grant the man freedom to create wealth and prosperity for himself and you will Economic growth is a sign of freedom and choice.

Today we celebrate this season of Thanksgiving. We are thankful for our Lord and His hand of Providence that grants us faith, freedom, and choice to employ our talents and abilities in the pursuit of commerce and peace. On this day, let us remember how capitalism has lifted hundreds of millions of humans from sheer poverty, something that world government has never been able to accomplish.