Jobs
Colonial people did many different kinds of jobs. These are a few of the jobs:
The cobbler made shoes and repaired them. The hatter made and sold hats. The tanner made things out of leather which was made from animal hides. The miller ground wheat and corn to make flour. The wheelwright made wagons and their wheels. The cooper made barrels. The barber made wigs, cut hair, and was the doctor.
Tailors made clothes for both men and women. Shirts, stockings, hats, and capes were made and sold to people. Coats, weskits, breeches, stays, and gowns were custom made for individuals. The milliner would make things like shirts, aprons, neckerchiefs, caps, cloaks, hoods, hats, muffs, ruffles and trim for gowns. The milliner also sold a wide range of fashionable imported goods. Blacksmiths made items from iron and steel for fellow tradesmen to use in their work and also made things for women to use in the home. | The gunsmith made all the parts of a gun. To make a gun barrel and a flintlock he had to turn iron and steel into a shape. The gunsmith also had to have the ability to turn metals such as brass, bronze and silver to form the butt plate, trigger guard and side plate.
Wigmakers made wigs and hairpieces for ladies and men. mold to make bowls, cups, plates and silverware. They would cut hair and fix women’s hair like a beautician does today. They also sold soaps, perfumes, powders, tonics and lice cures. Wigs were not only fashionable, but showed you were rich. Only the rich people wore wigs. The silversmith was like a sculptor today. He had to know how to shape their materials into useful items. The silversmith melted silver then poured the liquid silver into a mold to make bowls, cups, plates and silverware. |