# The Pilgrims Tried Communism. It Didn’t Work Out. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5b_z9MPhOc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/A5b_z9MPhOc Generated: 2025-11-26T22:04:55.993+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony, who initially experimented with a communal property system akin to socialism, abandoned it after 2 1/2 years due to widespread laziness, resource squandering, mass starvation, and plague, ultimately adopting a system honoring private property which led to survival and abundance, a historical lesson the speaker suggests applies to modern political discourse regarding Marxism. **Key Points:** - Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620, initially operated under a charter that mandated communal property and labor, which the speaker equates to socialism. - After two and a half years, the communal system failed, resulting in resources being squandered, vegetables rotting, mass starvation, and plague, according to William Bradford's writings. - The colony's leaders abandoned the socialist mandate and created a system honoring private property, after which the colony survived and thrived, celebrating their abundance at the first Thanksgiving feast. - The speaker draws a parallel between the Pilgrims' failed experiment and modern Marxism, arguing that core Marxist tenets—abolishing private property and viewing society as a class struggle between oppressors (capitalists) and the exploited (proletariat)—are fundamentally flawed. - The speaker cites the hypocrisy of Marxists who advocate for abolishing private property while simultaneously investing in risk-bearing ventures for personal return, or who demand government services while advocating for austerity. - The speaker highlights the ongoing appeal of Marxist ideas, noting recent polling suggesting favorable views among Gen Z, and warns against the danger of this ideology's inherent 'demonic, mystical religion' that denies the importance of risk and reward. - The core lesson from Plymouth is that systems which fail to compensate risk and effort (like communal property) lead to ruin, whereas private property and free enterprise incentivize productivity and survival. ![Screenshot at 00:28: The central argument is presented visually: 'It's wrong to say that America was founded by capitalists. In fact, America was founded by socialists who had the humility to learn from their initial mistakes and embrace freedom.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-00-28.png) **Context:** The video features John Papola, identified as a road filmmaker and founder of the Emergent Order Foundation, discussing the historical precedent for the failure of communal economic systems, using the early Plymouth Colony as a primary case study. Papola frames the discussion around the perceived rise of Marxist sympathies in modern society, contrasting these ideas with the foundational principles of individual enterprise and private property, which he argues are essential for societal success. ## Detailed Analysis John Papola argues against the idea that America was founded on capitalism, asserting instead that the early Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony (founded 1620) initially founded their system on socialist principles of communal property and labor. Citing William Bradford's account in 'Of Plymouth Plantation,' Papola details that this communal system failed disastrously within 2 1/2 years, leading to laziness, waste, starvation, and plague. The colonists subsequently abandoned this mandate for a system honoring private property, which resulted in survival and abundance celebrated at the first Thanksgiving. Papola uses this history to critique contemporary Marxist and socialist sympathizers, suggesting their core tenets—abolishing private property and viewing society as an exploitative class struggle (bourgeoisie vs. proletariat)—are inherently flawed because they ignore human nature and the necessity of incentives. He points out the hypocrisy of modern proponents who advocate for abolishing private property yet engage in risk-bearing investments for personal gain, or who demand social safety nets while criticizing the wealth accumulation of others. Papola concludes that the failure of the Pilgrims' experiment serves as a clear warning against collectivized systems, emphasizing that the inherent link between effort, risk, and reward (private property/free enterprise) is necessary for societal flourishing. ### Plymouth Colony's Economic Experiment - Communal property and labor written into the charter in 1620 - System caused people known for virtue to become lazy and unproductive - Resulted in squandered resources, rotting vegetables, mass starvation, and plague. ### The Shift to Freedom - After 2 1/2 years, leaders abandoned the socialist mandate and created a system honoring private property - This change allowed the colony to survive and thrive, leading to the abundance celebrated at the iconic Thanksgiving feast. ### Critique of Modern Marxism - Marxist ideology fundamentally advocates for abolishing private property and framing society as a class struggle between oppressors (capitalists) and the exploited (proletariat) - Papola suggests this foundational premise is flawed and morally suspect. ### Hypocrisy and Incoherence - Modern proponents of Marxism, like those advocating for wealth redistribution or government control over means of production, often fail to apply their own principles to their personal finance (e.g., investing personal savings at risk) - The core concepts of Marxism are impractical even in theory. ### The Lesson of Risk and Reward - The failure of communalism stems from removing incentives for care and productivity (e.g., people not tending trash or expecting compensation for risk) - Free enterprise and private property are essential because they provide the necessary return on investment and incentive for stewardship and future planning. ![Screenshot at 00:01: John Papola introduces the topic, identifying himself as a filmmaker and founder of the Emergent Order Foundation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 00:28: On-screen text displaying the video's central thesis: America was founded by 'socialists who had the humility to learn from their initial mistakes and embrace freedom,' not capitalists.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-00-28.png) ![Screenshot at 01:01: Text overlay detailing the initial communal system in Plymouth Colony: 'The original colony had written into its charter a system of communal property and labor.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-01-01.png) ![Screenshot at 01:23: Text overlay showing the failure and subsequent pivot: 'After 2 1/2 years, the leaders of the colony decided to abandon their socialist mandate and create a system which honored private property.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-01-23.png) ![Screenshot at 02:19: A clip from a rap video parodying Marx, titled 'Mesis vs. Marx: The March of History,' illustrating the modern visibility of Marxist ideas.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/A5b_z9MPhOc/00-02-19.png)