1) The Pilgrims were not Puritans. There were indeed Puritans at this time, but none of the Pilgrims regarded themselves as members of that radical and cerebral sect. They called themselves Separatists. Puritan settlement, in Salem and Boston, came later. (Incidentally, only about half the Mayflower Pilgrims were even Separatists—the rest, e.g., John Alden, were Anglicans, Catholics or whatever. These comprised the artisans and business people who did most of the work and made the colony possible, and were undoubtedly more responsible for its survival than Squanto and company.)

2) William Bradford’s solution, as described above, was private enterprise, not capitalism. Capitalism is a 19th century concept, connoting industrial plutocracy and rule by finance speculators. George Soros is a capitalist; H. Ross Perot is a private enterpriser.