Common Course and Condition | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

“Socialism, social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another.”

“Furthermore, everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to the production of a good is entitled to a share in it. Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)

The initial socialist approach to the Pilgrim’s early economy was not a structure that they initially chose or sought; rather, it was part of the conditions they accepted in negotiations with the Merchant Adventurers before they left.

Frankly, the Pilgrim leaders had expressed their desire to own their own lands and homes and even work two days each week for their own gain. But the Adventurers would not hear of it. The contract was a “take it or leave it” proposition. The Pilgrims reluctantly took it. (Patton)

It was not an experiment seeking the appropriate economic structure.

Bradford Notes That Socialist Living (“this comone course and condition”) wasn’t Working …

Bradford here expresses his belief that Socialism is not a Godly order or economic system.

“The experience that was had in this comone 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 ye taking away of propertie, and bringing in comunitie into a comone wealth, would make them happy and florishing; as if they were wiser then God.”

“For this comunitie (so farr as it was) was found to breed much confusion & discontent, and retard much imploymet that would have been to their benefite and comforte.”

Challenges with the Common Course and Condition

“For ye yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour & service did repine that they should spend their time & streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, with out any recompence. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in devission of victails & cloaths, then he that was weake and not able to doe a quarter ye other could; this was thought injuestice.”

“The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalised in labours, and victails, cloaths, &c., with ye meaner & yonger sorte, thought it some indignite & disrespect unto them.”

“And for mens wives to be commanded to doe servise for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, &c., they deemd it a kind of slaverie, neither could many husbands well brooke it. Upon ye poynte all being to have alike, and all to doe alike, they thought them selves in ye like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut of those relations that God hath set amongest men, yet it did at least much diminish and take of ye mutuall respects that should be preserved amongst them.”

“And would have bene worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none objecte this is men’s corruption, and nothing to ye course it selfe.”

“I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in his wisdome saw another course fiter for them.”

Pilgrims Seek a Better and More Abundant Result

The leaders of Plymouth colony decided to scrap their socialistic agreement with the Adventurers and the philosophy of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Individuals were now able to own their own homes, property, and keep the fruit of their own efforts. What happened? (Patton)

“All this whille no supply was heard of, neither knew they when they might expecte any. So they begane to thinke how they might raise as much corne as they could, and obtaine a beter crope then they had done, that they might not still thus languish in miserie.”

“At length, after much debate of things, the Govr (with ye advise of ye cheefest amongest them) gave way that they should set corne every man for his owne perticuler, and in that regard trust to them selves; in all other things to goe on in ye 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 ye Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente.”

“The women now wente willingly into ye 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.”

In 1621, the Pilgrims planted only 26-acres. Sixty acres were planted in 1622. But in 1623, spurred on by individual enterprise, 184-acres were planted. Somehow those who alleged weakness and inability became healthy and strong. It’s amazing what incentive will do to improve the situation. (Patton)

The Pilgrim experience dating from 1623 was and is yet a prototype for the US. The Pilgrims learned the hard way that:

Socialism does not work; it diminishes individual initiative and enterprise;
Socialism is not a Godly economic system; and
Famine and drought can be used by God to humble a people and set them on a proper course. (Patton)

The Pilgrims responded. The real question today is: Can Americans learn these vital insights from the Pilgrims? (Patton)

Click the following link to a general summary about Abandoning the “Common Course and Condition”:

https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/Common-Course-and-Condition.pdf

After two harvests, the Plymouth colonists decided that the task of raising food for the settlers would prosper only if it was separated from that of earning profits for London.

Having tried what Bradford called the “common course and condition” – the communal stewardship of the land demanded of them by their investors – Bradford reports that the community was afflicted by an unwillingness to work, by confusion and discontent, by a loss of mutual respect, and by a prevailing sense of slavery and injustice.

And this among “godly and sober men.” In short, the arrangement of communal living was a failure that was endangering the health of the colony.

In 1623 a parcel of land was allotted to each man to till for his family and to maintain those who were exempt from agricultural employment because of other duties. Each family was given one acre per family member.

In abandoning the “common course and condition” everyone worked harder and more willingly. After the first abundant harvest under individual cultivation, the Pilgrims did not have to endure the meager rations of the first years. The plots assigned them permanently in 1624 became privately owned in 1627.

Livestock

The Pilgrims did not bring any large livestock animals with them on the Mayflower. In fact, the only animals known with certainty to have come on the Mayflower were two dogs, an English mastiff and an English spaniel, who are mentioned on a couple of occasions in the Pilgrims’ journals.

Although not specifically mentioned, it seems likely that they had with them some chickens, because chicken broth was given by Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow to the Wampanoag sachem Massasoit when he was sick in early 1623; and it is also likely they brought some pigs. In 1623, Emmanual Altham visited Plymouth and reported there were six goats, fifty pigs, and many chickens.

In 1624, Bradford reports that “Mr. Winslow came over, and brought a prety good supply, and the ship came on fishing, a thing fatall to this plantation. He brought 3. Heifers & a bull, the first begining of any catle of that kind in ye land”. Other cattle came, some nicknamed the “Great Black Cow”, the “Lesser Black Cow”, and the “Great White-Backed Cow”. By 1627, both the “Lesser Black Cow” and the “Great White-backed Cow” had calves.

Onboard the Jacob in 1624 were four black heifers (a heifer is a young female cow that has not yet had a calf.) The four black heifers were nicknamed “Least”, “Raghorn”, “Blind”, and “Smooth-Horned”. There was also a “Red Cow” that belonged to the poor of the colony, which had a red female calf around 1625, and a male calf in 1627.

By May 1627, there were 16 head of cattle and at least 22 goats living in Plymouth. The exact arrival of the first sheep in the colony is uncertain (likely some time before 1629). The first horses and oxen did not begin arriving until the 1630s, most being brought to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the north. (Caleb Johnson’s MayflowerHistory)

Like the distribution of land in 1623 and 1627, the Pilgrims divided their livestock (cattle, goats, etc) into separate ‘lots’ in 1627.

Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England: Deeds, &c., 1620-1651 Vol 1 tells of the 1627 Division of Cattle:

At a publique court held the 22nd of May [1627] it was concluded by the whole Companie, that the cattell wch were the Companies, to wit, the Cowes & the Goates should be equally deuided to all the psonts of the same company & soe kept vntill the expiration of ten yeares after the date aboue written. & that euery one should well and sufficiently puid for there owne pt vnder penalty of forfeiting the same.

That the old stock with halfe th increase should remaine for comon vse to be deuided at thend of the said terme or otherwise as ocation falleth out, & the other halfe to be their owne for euer.

Vppon wch agreement they were equally deuided by lotts soe as the burthen of the keeping the males then beeing should be borne for common vse by those to whose lot the best Cowes should fall & so the lotts fell as followeth. thirteene psonts being pportioned to one lot.

Click the following link to a general summary about the Division of Cattle:

https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/Division-of-Cattle.pdf