Transcripts For CSPAN3 Reel America The Beginning At Plymout

Established this republic, they created a political and Economic System unique among nations. A system which has led the United States to the very pinnacle in well up and in world leadership. This series of programs is being presented to help all of us understand better our advantages under our mckean way of life. For todays topic, lets join now a group of young people at the National Education Program Workshop in arkansas. At the classroom lectures, the professor, and noted young historian. American adventure, that is rather an unusual designation for a course in economics and political science, isnt it . While, the american way of life, which we will examine here, is rather unusual. In fact, there is nothing quite like it in all the world. All of us want to know more about our country. What makes it tick . Why its the best place on earth . Why its worth understanding. Why its worth saving. Why wars have been fought to protect it. During the 13 weeks of this course in the american adventure, our general purpose will be to answer many questions about the american way of life, and to explore the workings of the American Economic and political system, so that we may understand its significance and importance. Why should we bother to do this . Because in one generation, many of the nations of the world have become either socialist stick or communist stick. And the advocates for both of these economic and political systems have determined to gain control of our country. Lets look at this map of the world. Here live two and one quarter billion people. They work and warship under all kinds of economic and political systems. From dictatorship to democracy. From collectivism to individualism. Now, lets see how socialism and communism have expanded since the end of the first world war. These dark areas are the nations that today live under communism, or that have adopted a considerable degree of socialism. Some of them were overrun and captured by russian communism. Some have drifted into or actually voted into being. Many fundamental aspects of socialism. The people were promised all sorts of material and economic benefits. So, they decided to try socialism. In some of our later classes, we are going to examine socialism with its promises and results. We are also going to shine the spotlight of knowledge on communism and some of its tactics in america. But in the beginning, lets just learn about the american system. Did you know that the founders of america when they came here from england seeking a better way of life established first a communal or collectivized Economic System . They did. Both in jamestown and at plymouth rock. Lets look in a moment at the plymouth colony. In december of 1620, 101 pilgrims from england reached the Atlantic Coast in the mayflower. Their primary purpose in risking the great hazards of an Atlantic Crossing and life in the primitive unknown land was to gain religious freedom for themselves. They had no preconceived ideas about building a nation, society or a system of economics. By common consent, the colonists Economic System was communal. The property was community property, or public property. Owned in effect by the colonies governors. The people Work Together and assigned tasks. They shared and shared alike in the total production of the colony. It worked like this. There was a common storehouse. Each family got all of its produce of whatever kind from the storehouse. The government of the colony allocated the goods on a basis of equal shares for all. This was the christian spirit of sharing. Our forefathers were people basically motivated by christian principles. Many of them felt that they could best progress under this communal economic arrangement and have full freedom also. They thought they had an ideal Economic System. Even among these dedicated christians, however, with their great measure of freedom, the theory of government ownership of property and communal living did not work in practice. A few of the less industrious colonists discovered that no matter how little they produced and carried to the common storehouse, they still received a share equal with their neighbors. They began to load the and to shirk their duties. The industry is, seeing they were made to support the swat full, began to slow down also. Well, as one family after another eased up on their work and production of vegetables, grains and meet, the goods in the store house windshield. In time, starvation threatened to wipe out the colonists. The leaders of the colony despaired over their communal experiment. Instead of providing plenty for all, the collective this system had produced only an equal distribution of poverty and stagnation instead of progress. Something had to be done to restore the energies of the colonists. Either away must be found to stimulate work and production through voluntary willingness of everyone, or the colonists would have to resort to the type of coercive measures based on force, which had been a part of Human History for thousands of years. The plymouth colonists did not want to force labor with police power. That was one way of doing it, but they believed that freedom was a godly heritage for all mankind. They had fled from the old to the new world seeking this freedom. So when the communal, or collective this system, carry them toward starvation, the governmental and religious leaders together proposed the establishment of a basic law of private property. And the fundamental principle of Self Reliance. Every able bodied men was to be come responsible for his family. The Community Owned or government owned farmlands and pastures would be parcel out for par but ownership. Private ownership, people with Exchange Goods and services among themselves, according to their abilities and desires. Were suffer a self inflicted penalty, one of hunger and disgrace, from this time fourth, the people possess their own property. This in plymouth established final and just the opposite of a public owner midship of communism. Did it change the things for the better form of policy . It certainly did. A change of ownership and responsibility from the element to the individual citizen, mark the beginning of progress in the colony. It helped to establish the foundation of the american Economic System. Freedom bradford, governor of the plaintiffs colony, when this is some of private ownership was established, and selfreliant became the role, the house with came out of her kitchen, and the children give up some of their playtime to work in the fields. So that the family could produce more, and have more, and live better. The fruits of their labor was theres. No wonder they were willing to work. Who can deny the power of that incentive which was based on the right to own property and keep the proceeds of ones labor. What happened in plymouth, also happened in jamestown 12 year earlier. Students of history will call the colorful interlude of jamestown with the romantic characters as captain john smith and princess pocahontas, the indian made who saved his life from the anger of an indian chief. But so many people pass over the historic fact that the communal Economic System we established as jamestown, with the common storehouse and equal shares for all. It failed miserably, just as a date in plymouth. I jamestown, the people almost starved under the communal system. And as that plymouth, the establishment of private property, an individual responsibility, instead of government responsibility, start of the colony on the road to success. Here is what captain john smith himself wrote in his diary, after dow starvation has been diverted in jamestown as a change to private overnight ship, and individuals alliance. Where are people was that out of the common storehouse, and labor brought us together, he cared not how, presuming that the harvest prosper, the general store must maintain. Even the most honest among them, kept the smith, we had the troop in a week, and as a Public Ownership and comments to how system, has now put himself for the do in a day. Not so much corn from the labours of 30, as now three or four will provide for themselves. Both at jamestown and at plymouth colony, it was historically demonstrated that men will not work to the fullest of the capabilities without the incentive given through private ownership. The incentive a personal profit. I was like was demonstrated, the question, as long as there is dependent on public storehouse, personal incentive withers, and production falls. Even among the most honest and christian people, as captain smith and governor bradford noted. The positive Lessons Learned from these two examples, if the individuals race to own property, the spirit of Self Reliance and the presence of incentives, individual freedom, and responsibility work for the good of all. Today, these principles are found in our Economic System, working for the benefit of all americans. In subsequent classes, as we consider other pieces of our economic and political life, we will consider the dangers that threaten the principle of private ownership. Posing such questions as, is the principle of private ownership being diluted . Without a realization of danger. And is the pendulum in america swinging back towards Public Ownership . After all the progress and mashed in the 6000 year in Human History. These are questions with consideration, arent they . And we shall consider them. But for now, class dismissed. The american adventurous theories is production of the National Educational program, dr. Georges spends in a director. This is American History tv on cspan 3, where each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nations past. On saturday, eastern thomas bel ski, teaches the class on the relationship between two prominent men 19th century prominent William Rufus king. Here is a preview well to some moderate ever as ever, the answer is simple. These two bachelor more than just friends, they were lovers. As these images reveal, you dont need to search google next, the Georgia Historical Society Senior Historian stan deaton interviews former u. S. Senator sam nunn about the cold war 75 years after it started. Senator nunn served from 1972 to 1997 as a democrat from georgia, and as Senate Armed Services Committee Chair from 1987 to 1995. After leaving the senate, he cofounded the Nuclear Threat initiative. Senator nunn reflects on his experience during the cuban missile crisis, the leaderships of president s from harry truman to george h. W. Bush, foreign leaders who influenced events during the cold war year is, as well as the continuing threat of nuclear war. The Georgia Historical Society hosted the interview and provided the video. We are here to talk about the cold war at 75. This marks the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the cold war immediately after world war ii in 1945. I want to briefly introduce