The apprentice system in colonial America began as a way for young men to learn valuable trade skills from experienced artisans and mechanics and soon flourished into a fascinating and essential social institution. Benjamin Franklin got his start in life as an apprentice, as did Mark Twain, Horace Greeley, William Dean Howells, William Lloyd Garrison, and many other famous Americans. But the Industrial Revolution brought with it radical changes in the lives of craft apprentices. In this book, W. J. Rorabaugh has woven an intriguing collection of case histories, gleaned from numerous letters, diaries, and memoirs, into a narrative that examines the varied experiences of individual apprentices and documents the massive changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution.
Author(s): W.J. Rorabaugh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1988
Language: English
Pages: 288
PREFACE......Page 8
CONTENTS......Page 14
PROLOGUE: Benjamin Franklin's Legacy......Page 18
CHAPTER ONE: Chaos......Page 31
CHAPTER TWO: The Master's Authority......Page 47
CHAPTER THREE: A Cash Wage......Page 72
CHAPTER FOUR: The Crisis in Printing......Page 91
CHAPTER FIVE: Personal Relations......Page 112
CHAPTER SIX: The Limits of Reform......Page 128
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Machine Age......Page 146
CHAPTER EIGHT: A Way Out?......Page 172
CHAPTER NINE: Lingering Traditions......Page 191
EPILOGUE: Civil War......Page 213
STATISTICAL APPENDIX......Page 226
NOTES......Page 228
B......Page 270
C......Page 272
D......Page 273
F......Page 274
G......Page 275
H......Page 276
L......Page 277
M......Page 278
N......Page 279
P......Page 280
R......Page 281
S......Page 282
T......Page 283
W......Page 284
Y......Page 285
