Jefferson's third draft of Virginia Constitution had provision for a guaranteed 50 acres of land

[darkstar]

I feel like his understanding that equal participation in the American experiment demanded a level playing field of ownership to work should be brought up more frequently. Bernie and AOC, in my humble opinion, should remind us that a discussion of this sort of guarantee is actually a not outside of America’s seminal intellectual discussions.

From this draft:

******
Every person of full age neither owning nor having owned [50] acres of land, shall be entitled to an appropriation of [50] acres or to so much as shall make up what he owns or has owned [50] acres in full and absolute dominion, and no other person shall be capable of taking an appropriation.

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0161-0004
*******

While this proposal was not agreed upon, I feel it is such an eye-opening insight into one of the principal founder’s thinking that it should get more daylight in our our national conversation, i.e., Bernie and AOC’s current tour. In other words, in our contemporary notion of capital, examination of, say, universal basic income, is not far removed from some of the nation’s original ideals.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. But that was * not * 40 acres and a mule reparations. Whites only. All the same thanks for bringing this here. . . nt

[RandomNumbers]

2. The awful thinking of the time

was that black people weren't people.

The concept of sharing the wealth among all "people" ... those they considered people, any way ... was certainly a positive thing.

I'm guessing the "person" in "Every person of full age neither owning nor having owned [50] acres of land," also did not apply to single women of "full age".