Life as an Apprentice in Colonial America
Boys as Young as Six Worked in Shops; Some Ran Away
Aug 31, 2009
In colonial America, the conventional path to a livelihood as a craftsman, such as a printer, wigmaker, or bookbinder, began with an apprenticeship. This meant living and working in the shop of a master craftsman for at least four to five years. After the apprenticeship, the apprentice became a journeyman, which meant he had all the skills of the craft and could go from town to town and work in the shop of a master craftsman. Sooner or later the journeyman opened his own shop as a master craftsman.
The apprentice normally worked under a contract. A typical contract might state that the apprentice "faithfully his said Master shall serve, his secrets keep, his lawfull commands at all Times readily Obey." Often, contracts also spelled out what the apprentice was forbidden to do. Thomas Hancock, who was was the uncle of John Hancock and one of the richest men in New England in the mid-1700s, started out as an apprentice to a bookbinder. His contract said: "Matrimony he shall not contract, Taverns and Alehouses he shall not frequent, at cards, dice, or any other unlawful games he shall not play."
Food, Lodging and Clothes, But No Money
In return for the apprentice's labor, the master agreed to teach the apprentice his "mystery"--that is, his trade--and to feed him, lodge him, provide his clothes, and to see to it that his clothes were washed. The apprentice received no money except perhaps for a few coins at the end of the year.
It was usual for the master to permit the apprentice to attend school in the evening, sometimes at the parents' expense, sometimes at the master's expense, depending on the agreement. Sometimes, the master, in addition to teaching skills of the craft, would also teach the apprentice reading, writing, and mathematics.
The master might also be required, at the end of the apprenticeship and as the boy became a journeyman, to give the boy the "custom of country," which usually meant a new suit, four shirts and two "necklets."
Widows Exempted from Apprenticeship Rule
For almost everyone, an apprenticeship was essential to becoming a master craftsman. Widows were exempted from this rule. The wife of a master craftsman could assume the position of master upon the death of her husband. Many printers and newspaper publishers in colonial America were widows.
For boys seeking to become master craftsmen, the standard rule was that no one could open a shop without serving at least seven years as an apprentice and reaching the age of 21.
In practice, many American boys were allowed to complete their apprenticeships in four or five years. These shorter apprenticeships were permitted at least in part because of the high demand for skilled artisans in American towns. America was starved for skilled workers and a young man with skills could easily find work.
Benjamin Franklin Apprenticed to Brother
This high demand for labor in America benefited apprentices in many ways. Compared to his counterparts in Britain, the apprentice in America not only could expect a shorter apprenticeship, but during that apprenticeship he could count on better working conditions and better overall treatment. An unhappy American apprentice could simply run away and probably find work elsewhere. The most well known example of such an apprentice was Benjamin Franklin. Born in Boston and working as an apprentice printer to his brother, Franklin became dissatisfied with his treatment and ran away first to New York and then Philadelphia, where he rose to success.
Advertisements sometimes appeared for the return of runaway apprentices. One appearing in the Virginia Gazette in 1745 asked for a return of a "smooth-tongued" apprentice "who makes Locks, and is dexterous at picking them."
Typically, a boy started his apprenticeship at age fourteen. But some, such as New England printer Isaiah Thomas, began as young as six. Sometimes a boy's father would pay for the master to take on the boy. It was for some families a way to remove a troublesome son from the household. For other families, it was a way to cut household costs.
Sources:
Baxter, WT. The House of Hancock: Business in Boston, 1724-1775. New York: Russell & Russell Inc.; 1965.
Forbes, Esther. Paul Revere and the World He Lived In. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.; 1942.
Huff, Randall. The Revolutionary War Era. Westport, Connecticutt: Greenwood Press; 2004.
Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginnings of American Industry. Cleveland: The World Publishing Co.; 1965.
Williamsburg Craft Series. "The Printer in Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg." Williamsburg, Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg, 2005.
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