The Colonial Craftsman

"A fascinating study not only of the work of the 18th-century American artisan but of his place in pre-Revolutionary society." — The New Yorker
In colonial America, craftsmen comprised the largest segment of the population, after farmers. They were cabinetmakers, silversmiths, pewterers, printers, painters, engravers, blacksmiths, brass button-makers, shipwrights, hatters, shoemakers, and other artisans, and they manufactured the tools, clothing, household goods, and other essential…