Final answer:
Common land is a type of property held in common by a community for shared use, as opposed to private ownership. Indigenous and horticultural societies often managed land through usufruct rights, which allowed use without private ownership. This concept was often at odds with European colonial ideas of property rights, leading to significant historical conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Common land refers to land that is owned collectively by a community or is held in trust by authorities for communal use. In various societies, particularly before the widespread adoption of private land ownership, this land was used for shared purposes such as grazing livestock, agriculture, or as a commons for multiple community activities. For example, in early New England, Village Greens were areas in the center of towns known as "cow commons" where villagers could graze livestock. These spaces are indicative of a strong commitment to communal action and serve as a testament to a progressive moralist tradition.
In many indigenous and horticultural societies, the concept of owning land as private property was foreign. Instead, land was allocated to individuals for use but not for sale or permanent ownership—a practice known as usufruct rights. This form of land tenure allowed for the use and enjoyment of land without the transfer of ownership. Throughout history, these communal systems have often been in conflict with the European ideas of privatization and enclosure.
The idea of common land faced challenges with the introduction of European colonization and settlement. Colonizers, influenced by thinkers like John Locke, often claimed land for private use and constructed physical barriers to mark their territory, which disrupted the native people's seasonal migrations and land use patterns. The clash of beliefs about land ownership between native peoples and European colonizers was a significant source of conflict throughout history.