Mother was reading some kind of thing that told of some of the first American settlements up and down the East coast in the early 1600 and found something interesting.
Some of the settlements decided to go with the collective society. All worked for the community to build, farm, and protect society. To each their ability and all receive the bounty from all.
Human nature, some refused to hoe the corn fields as they had a bad back, others refused to learn a trade as they claimed to be Doctors and Lawyers.
Ultimate decision that led to survival back then when was when the powers that be up ended this community crap and informed the residents that no more socialism, they had so many acres of land each and it was up to them to grow their own food, to clear their own land, raise their own live stock, spin their own wool for clothing ----themselves.
Help came from the community's and Churches but this had to be paid back to them.
Widows with children were cared for but their children on their death had to return to the community all their mother owned, be it land or just a bed pot or 2 dishes and one chair.
Some how we the fruit of the loin of these people went on and survived to today, when we are looking back with technology and wondering how the heck our family our DNA came to this time