In Our Hands, Part 1: How We Got What We Have

About

Part 1 of 4 of "In Our Hands". From the How We Live in America Series.

Anti-communist, pro-capitalist film espousing the political freedom and economic progress that comes from the accumulation of privately owned tools of production. Demonstrates the need for tools by showing a young couple with their infant child in a wilderness with nothing but natural resources and their hands.

Titles on leader: 3730A American Foundation Long version in four parts.

Synopsis from study guide inside can:

The introductory scenes present a contract between our own American form of government and the kind of government run by a "strong man," a dictator.

The narrator makes this statement: One worker out of five lives close to the land on our six million farms and ranches. The other four work away from the land.

The title of the film is put in question form, "How did we get what we have?"

All our wealth — our farms, industries, and homes — everything is wiped away. Tom, Midge and their baby — a 20th century family — find themselves alone in the wilderness, without equipment of any kind.

Tom tries to provide for man's basic needs, shelter (a cave) and food (wild berries and roots). He is at a disadvantage trying to get food with his bare hands. He catches two fish, but lacking a knife he can't clean them; lacking matches he can't male a fire to cook them.

Tom finds a man who has a fire and a knife. In exchange for a fish, he is willing to let Tom use his fire and knife. After a fist fight, they finally agree on the exchange

We learn that man's material wants depend on three basic factors: natural resources, human energy and tools. The Indians had these three factors but they did not improve their crude tools. Our early settlers had crude implements but they worked to improve them.

A tractor pulling a modern plough (plow) now replaces the crude instrument of the pioneer. As our tools have improved, our output per worker has increased.

Human-made No record of this work says a model made it. What this means.

Archive

Internet Archive, in Prelinger Archives

Licence or status

The Internet Archive states none for this item.

Rights statement

"Copyright MCML Wilding Picture Productions, Inc."

Credit

Wilding Picture Productions, Inc., Jack Tilles, James Prindle

Language

English

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed