America’s Socialist Origins|5 Minute Video
Was America when socialist? Remarkably, yes. The early settlers who got to Plymouth and Jamestown in the early 1600s experimented with socialist communes. Did it work? History professor Larry Schweikart of the University of Dayton shares the fascinating story..
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Script:.
Americans didn’t develop free enterprise industrialism. But you may say they perfected it.
In doing so, they created more wealth for more people than any society in the history of the world. To begin to understand this intricate and fascinating story, we need to travel back in time to the very first settlers of America.
Before we get to the history, let me specify what I mean by capitalism. Because it developed over thousands of years of human interaction, it’s not an easy term to pin down. Adam Smith, the great English thinker, first explained it in his popular 1776 writing, The Wealth of Nations, but he didn’t develop it.
For our functions here, I define commercialism as a financial system in which individuals freely choose what they will produce and who they will serve. Considering that both parties have to permission, it’s a system in which success requires that you serve the needs of others before you are rewarded for your work.
Now back to history:.
When the very first settlers got here– at Jamestown in 1607 then Plymouth in 1620– they were running under a financial system typical to all European nations at that time, known as mercantilism. While governments allowed the companies to make profits, their primary function was to advance the nationwide interest of England or Spain or France. The early American settlements were set up to be self-dependent so that the English government didn’t have to support them.
The early colonists started their experience with what they thought was a gorgeous concept. There was no name for this system, it was a perfect socialist commune. A colonist who began his workday early or remained late received the very same provision of food as a colonist who revealed up late, went home early, or didn’t work at all.
After about two years, the settlement was minimized to consuming shoelaces and rats. Half of them died of starvation. Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) took control of the nest and scrapped the socialist design. Each colonist got his own parcel. Personal property had actually concerned the New World. “He who won’t work, will not eat!” Smith informed them, pointing out the Biblical admonition. Well they worked. And they ate. And the colony was saved.
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source
Was America as soon as socialist? The early settlers who got here at Plymouth and Jamestown in the early 1600s experimented with socialist communes. There was no name for this system, it was an ideal socialist commune. A colonist who started his workday early or stayed late received the exact same arrangement of food as a colonist who revealed up late, went home early, or didn’t work at all.
Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) took control of the colony and scrapped the socialist design.
