In colonial times when you needed something you couldn't make yourself you would ask a craftsperson who could make it. Some of the trades that were popular during colonial times were:
A blacksmith made things out of iron by heating the iron and hammering it out. He worked in a shop that had a forge and anvil. A forge was a coal fire and an anvil was a large heavy cast iron table top. He also needed a bellows to make the fire very hot. A bellows was a bag made of leather and wood that blew air into the fire. Some of the things that blacksmiths made were guns, nails, plows, pots, knives, padlocks and horseshoes. Most of a blacksmith's business was shoeing horses because there were a lot of horses during colonial times. A blacksmith was important because he could make almost anything a colonist needed including tools, utensils, and horseshoes
A cabinetmaker made furniture out of wood. When you wanted the cabinetmaker to make you a piece of furniture you would bring him some wood. He might keep some of the extra wood as payment. Cabinetmakers used hand tools to make fine furniture. Some of these tools included planes, hammers, and drawknives. A big lathe would turn the wood so he could carve designs into the wood. The wood was finished with stain and varnish. Cabinetmakers made lots of beautiful and useful pieces of furniture out of wood like tables, chairs, etc. These were important to the colonists in setting up their homes.
A cooper is a person who mostly made barrels. They also made buckets, piggins and pails. Barrels were made out of wood from pine, cedar or oak trees. First the cooper cut staves or wooden planks that were wider in the middle. Metal rings were used to hold the staves together. Round lids were cut to fit on the top and bottom. A spy hole was carved into the middle so you could tell what was in the barrel. Coopers were important because the barrels and buckets they made stored food and liquids and helped colonists carry liquids from one place to another.
The miller was the person who ran the grist mill. Farmers brought their corn and wheat to the miller to be ground into cornmeal and flour. The grist mill was located next to a river where a dam was built. Water power was used to turn the water wheel which turned the millstones. Farmers traded some of the cornmeal or flour to the miller for grinding it. Any extra could be traded for other goods or services. Without a miller the grist mill could not run and farmers could not easily grind their grain.
A milliner mended and sewed clothing. They sold things that were shipped over from Europe, including gloves, buttons, feathers and lace. A milliner was usually a woman who set up a shop in town. Some of the items she sewed included hats, cloaks, shirts, muffs, hoods and aprons from different fabrics. The word milliner comes from the city Milan in Italy. It was famous for making women's fashions. A milliner provided the latest fashions for wealthy women.
A printer was the person who printed newspapers and books. A printer used small metal letters to set the type for each word. He hammered the letters into a tray so they wouldn't move. He put ink on the letters and pressed paper against the type. A printer was important because people got all their information from the newspapers and books like almanacks that he printed.
A silversmith was a metalworker who made things out of silver. A silversmith made spoons, cups, bowls and other things used in the home. They also made jewelry. Silver was brought to the colonies from mines in Mexico and Peru. Sometimes pirate's booty was also melted down to make new objects. Silver was melted down in a forge using a special bowl called a crucible. Then it was poured into a mold. When it was cool it could be hammered into different shapes. Silversmiths were important to wealthy people who wanted to put their wealth into something they could show and count on.
A tanner was a person whose work was making hides into leather. A shin tanner skinned pigs, sheep or deer. A hide tanner worked with oxen, horses, and cows. A tannery had to be by a creek or river because tanneries needed lots of water. First the tanner scratches the customer's initials into the hide. Next he soaks it in water and then scrapes off the hair. Then he puts the hide in a tub of water and tannic acid. Tannic acid comes from the bark of trees. When it is ready he takes it out to wash it and dry it on racks. He beats it to keep it flexible. He keeps half of the leather as payment. A tanner is important because people needed leather for boots, saddles and belts.
The wheelwright made wheels for carriages, wagons, and carts. To make a wheel they needed wood, iron rings (one for the axle and one for the tire), hammer, lathe and other hand tools. They made the wheel by starting with a hub that was made out of wood. An iron ring was placed inside of it. This was the axle that turned the wheel. Next the rim was made out of seven felloes which were curved sections. They joined the sections together to make a circle. When they were finished an iron ring called a tire was added to the rim. A wheelwright was an important person because without him it would have been difficult to travel and transporting goods would have been very difficult.
The wigmaker made wigs for people that were wealthy and who wanted to be fashionable. Wigmakers were also called penikers. To make a wig the wigmaker measured your head and made a net cap. Horsehair, goat hair, cow hair or human hair was sewn onto the net cap using silk thread. Sometimes people even cut their own hair off to make it into a wig. To finish the wig the hair was cut, combed, curled and ribbons were added depending on the style. Finally the wig was powdered and perfumed. The wigmaker was important to wealthy people especially when they had a special occasion.
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Life in Colonial America
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The New York Colony The Village
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