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In the early 16th century through the early 17th century there were a group of people known as the Puritans that lived in the first colonies of America. The Puritans had very strong view points regarding such things as church membership, marriage, predestination, and the government. They were not afraid to express these view points to anyone. Although all of their view points played a role in the development of the early American ideologies none of them had more of an influence than the idea of private property ownership. The experiment of Plymouth Colony is a clear example of this.
The Puritans thought of private property ownership and collectivism as social experiments. The Puritans were forced to adopted the concept of collectivism by there financiers that provided the funds to travel to the new world in the early 16th century. Collectivism is the idea that every member of a group, such as a colony, should work together for the wellbeing of the group as a whole, not for the wellbeing of their person. Private property ownership on the other hand encouraged the ideas that a man should take pride in his work and land, that he should provide for his family to the best of his ability, and that he should trade and barter his surplus goods to help his family, and also to help the families of other men in need. The results of these experiments differed significantly from one another.
One of the more familiar Puritans was a man named William Bradford. He was one of the first leaders of the Plymouth Colony when they first arrived in the new world. These were his thoughts on collectivism " The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tries sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity on 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 then God." Collectivism results in laziness and defiance to work amongst men. A man has no interest in the prosperity of another, nor does he desire to work for no wages. Private property ownership results in a man having to care and provide for his own land and family. So collectivism eventually fell, and capitalism and private property ownership slowly became the economic system of America
Collectivism failed because young men found it unfair that they could work all day and still get the same treatment as an old man that did not work at all. The men just found it easier to sit around and do nothing and still get the same treatment as everyone else. Even a sober godly Puritan does not want to work to put food on another mans table when that man has not done as much labor as he has. Men are also sinners, which makes them selfish and self-centered. Private property ownership and capitalism meant that a man could not just sit around and expect to be provided for. He must work for his provisions and food, and when every man works for his own provisions and food there will be an enormous amount of economic growth.
So in the end the Plymouth Colony experiment and private property ownership established the basis for the American way of life. Although the Puritans are rebuked for there strong view points on church membership, church discipline, and their Calvinism, no other group in American history have played a bigger role in the development of the greatest country in history.
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