For the first two growing seasons after its landing in Massachusetts the Pilgrims grew their crops in the same communal style that other colonial settlements such as Jamestown used to grow their food crops. The result was disastrous and resulted in starvation situations for the first two winters. The leader of Plymouth, William Bradford decided to assign plots of land to each family and allow them to keep whatever crops they grew. The change in attitude of the Pilgrims was immediate and the result was that food was no longer a problem from that year forward.

(Book – Mayflower – Nathaniel Philbrick)