In a world in which Communist political power continues to grow and Communist social ideals continue to have an appeal we are apt to forget that the early U.S. colonial history includes the record of a Communistic experiment. The godly Pilgrim Fathers in the establishment of their original colony at Plymouth attempted to set up such a community. The hardships and poverty as the colony faced the threat of starvation prompted them to reconsider their decision to have all of the settlers share in working one common farm. They decided to split it up and have each family allQtted its own parcel ofland. Governor Bradford tells us about this in his own inimitable style in his Of Plymouth Plantation. No help seemed to be coming from England (Editor).

So they begane to thinke how they might raise as much come as they could, and obtaine a better crope than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in miserie. At length, after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advise of the cheefest amongst them) gave way that they should set corne every man for his owne perticuler, and in that regard trust to themselves; in all other things to goe on in the generall way as before. And so assigned to every family a parcell of land, according ‘to the proportion of their number for that end, only for present use (but made no devission for inheritance), and ranged all boys & youth under some familie. This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into the feild, and tooke their litle-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie; whom to have compelled would have bene thought great tiranie and oppression. .

The experience that was had in this commone course and condition, tried sundrie years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanitie of that conceite of Platos & other ancients, applauded by some of later times—that the taking away of propertie, and bringing in communitie into a comone wealth, would make them happy and florishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this comunitie (so farr as it was) was found to breed much confusion & discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefite and comforte.

Taken from Of Plymouth Plantation (Capricorn Books, p. 90).