Handicraft industry and workers, History

Assignment Help:

 Handicraft Industry and Workers

Those who did not work on the land in early modern Europe were mostly involved in manufacturing, which took place primarily in cities and towns. Such work, prior to 1800, was almost all handicraft -- that is to say, the main source of power was the worker's muscle power and the main technology was the worker's skill. Such workers are called artisans, and any tools or machines used by an artisan were less important than muscle and skill.

Artisans worked in small workshops and, for the most part, artisans worked on all aspects of their craft. For example, a shoemaker would assemble the materials and build each shoe that he worked on entirely by himself cut and shape the leather, then attach the wooden sole and metal buckle rather than making only one part of many shoes.

Artisans generally produced goods on a "bespoke" (or what we might think of as special order) basis. So, our shoemaker would make only the number of shoes that were ordered ahead of time by his customers, rather than making many and hoping to sell them later. This was because, in part, artisans had little capital -- other than their tools and their skills. So they could not afford to produce shoes ahead of time and then keep them in stock to sell to customers; they had to wait for someone to order an item before they could acquire the raw materials to produce it. This limited artisans to producing primarily for local demand. This meant producing for those customers who lived nearby, in the same town or village, rather than producing goods that could be shipped elsewhere to be sold. 


Related Discussions:- Handicraft industry and workers

What did the reconstruction act accomplish?, What did the Reconstruction Ac...

What did the Reconstruction Act accomplish?  In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act, which imposed a much more strict settlement on the former Confederacy. The act div

Politics, what did the framers do wrong in the constitution?

what did the framers do wrong in the constitution?

Why is the writing inscribed on the ancient oracle, Why is the writing insc...

Why is the writing inscribed on the ancient oracle bones easily understood today?

What does hammurabi''s code, What does Hammurabi's code tell about the posi...

What does Hammurabi's code tell about the position of Mesopotamian women?

Political authority during the fedual period, In what ways did the feudal s...

In what ways did the feudal system respond to conditions in Europe during the ninth and tenth centuries? What was the relationship between landholding and political authority durin

Checks and balances: separation of powers, Checks and Balances: Separation ...

Checks and Balances: Separation of Powers The men who wrote the Constitution sought to create a stronger form of government, but were also fearful of creating one that was too

What was the selected non-western culture, In the later nineteenth century ...

In the later nineteenth century and early twentieth century, what would a "decentering" of culture have meant for a given cultural group? Select from among the non-Western cultural

Show which political group had the most impact, Discuss which political gro...

Discuss which political group had the most impact on the formation of the Constitution and why. How did this group influence the debate on the proposed Constitution? Explain some o

Evaluation of female figures in homer, Description and evaluation of female...

Description and evaluation of female figures in Homer, such as Helen, Penelope, Andromache, Calypso, Circe, Nausicaa. Examine the different roles women play in the society that eme

Societies evolved in different ways in their quest, -In a minimum of 900 wo...

-In a minimum of 900 words, please answer the following- Societies evolved in different ways in their quest for social order. Compare the ways the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and In

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd