HISTORY 40A Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Cowhide, Cutlery, Quartering Acts
16 Nov 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Personal Revolution
George Robert Twelve Hewes
Seven Years War -- 1756 - 1763
British Taxes and Acts
1. Sugar, 1764
2. Stamp Act, 1765
a. Riots
3. Quartering Act, 1765
a. British Troops
b. Boston Massacre, 1770
4. Tea Act, 1773
Tea Party, Dec 1773
5. John Malcolm Affair
I. Deference
George Robert Twelve Hewes
(1742 - 1840)
How do we know about him? Why do we care?
1. That year began apprenticeship in shoemaking: bleak, miserable trade → most were
poor
2. Apprenticeships in lucrative (money making) crafts; had to pay the master a fee
Why become a shoemaker?
To learn a craft in early America: serve as an apprentice with a master, young age; live and
work with a craftsman, sign contract in exchange for work, master teaches.
- Apprenticeship Contract: to learn the art and mysteries of a craft
- Apprenticeships in lucrative (money making) crafts
Had to pay the master a fee
- Ben Franklin: father wanted to apprentice him to a cutler, but could not afford the fee
- Prospects of shoemaking so poor, often the master would have to pay a small fee to get
an apprentice
George’s master very strict, used cowhide strap to get what he wanted.
George tried to escape, but later went to another master.
1763 -- George turned 21
Opened his own shop: customer order -- bespoke work, mostly from his neighbors, did
not do too well.
Married poor woman in one of Boston’s smallest churches, she took in washing
Soon lands in debtors prison
By 1771 -- 10 years after he opened his own shop, mastered shoemaker
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
British taxes and acts: sugar, 1764, stamp act, 1765, riots, quartering act, 1765, british troops, boston massacre, 1770. Why do we care: that year began apprenticeship in shoemaking: bleak, miserable trade most were poor, apprenticeships in lucrative (money making) crafts; had to pay the master a fee. To learn a craft in early america: serve as an apprentice with a master, young age; live and work with a craftsman, sign contract in exchange for work, master teaches. Apprenticeship contract: to learn the art and mysteries of a craft. Ben franklin: father wanted to apprentice him to a cutler, but could not afford the fee. Prospects of shoemaking so poor, often the master would have to pay a small fee to get an apprentice. George"s master very strict, used cowhide strap to get what he wanted. George tried to escape, but later went to another master.
