Thanksgiving: A Celebration Of Family, Friends And Capitalism

We associate a lot of things with Thanksgiving. Turkeys, Pilgrims, Indians– you name it. But I’ll never forget what one of my favorite conservative professors taught me.

Thanksgiving is actually a celebration of the success of capitalism.

See, kids are usually taught the generic story. Pilgrims and Indians worked together and celebrated an abundant harvest. Teachers have kids make paper Indian hats with cute little feathers and take class pictures. (Probably not anymore, because cultural appropriation and all.)

But it’s about SO MUCH MORE than that. I wrote a little bit about this in a post for the Young Conservatives last year, but it’s something that’s worth mentioning every year.

When the Pilgrims first settled in New World, the established communal rule. It’s what they knew. It was familiar. It was like small-scale socialism. Communal labor. Shared benefits. Problem? The “benefits” weren’t evenly distributed. Some worked harder than others and realized that the lazybones of the community reaped the benefits.

Communal living was failing them. Heck, don’t take my word for it. Check out what Plymouth Colony governor William Bradford had to say:

“For the young men that were 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 recompense. The strong, or men of parts, had no more division of food, clothes, etc. then he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized in labor, and food, clothes, etc. with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some indignant and disrespect unto them. And for men’s wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc. they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could husbands brook it. The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years, and that amongst the Godly and sober men, may well convince of the vanity and conceit of Plato’s and other ancients; — that the taking away of property, and bringing into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.”

So leaders of the colony decided to take a different approach and embraced the principles of capitalism. Instead of sharing everything, each family received their own “parcel of land,” and guess what happened? They prospered! Thanksgiving was all about giving thanks to God for their abundant harvest and celebrating the fruits of capitalism.

And yes. God actually is part of Thanksgiving.

“The rains came, without wind, or thunder or any violence and by abundant degrees it wetted the earth and soaked the crops. Within a quick period of time, the decayed corn and other fruits began to wonderfully revive. Even the Indians were astonished to behold the transformation. And afterwards all through the hot summer months, God sent seasonable showers. Through God’s blessings, He caused a fruitful and liberal harvest to our comfort and rejoicing,” Bradford wrote.

Every detail of American history is amazing. God was truly with this nation every step of the way.

God bless America, and happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!