Thanksgiving celebrates the Pilgrims' break from socialism.

Schools and textbooks avoid the topic, but it’s worth remembering. The Plymouth and Jamestown plantations were dying under “common store” approach. Only by establishing a free market did the settlers thrive.

Here’s the beginning of Kent Dillon’s excellent story of Thanksgiving, which you can continue reading in its entirety at The Mises Institute:

By Kent Dillon

The celebration of Thanksgiving is a celebration of plenty and appreciation of the abundance that has characterized the free enterprise, individualistic, capitalistic systems of the US. This why America grew into the most productive, highest standard of living area in the world. The Pilgrims had arrived in what is now Provincetown, Mass., on November 11, 1620, but it was late in December before they finally settled in Plymouth. In the words of Gov. Bradford,

that which was most sad and lamentable was, that in 2 or 3 months time half of their company died, especially in January and February, being the depth of winter, and wanting houses and other comforts; being infected with the scurvy and other diseases, so as there died sometimes 2 or 3 of a day, in the aforesaid time; that of 100 and odd persons, scarce 50 remained.

They spent their first winter building houses so that they could move off the Mayflower and by March all settlers had left the ship.

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