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

Apollo belvedere, I need help with writing an essay for Art History which i...

I need help with writing an essay for Art History which involves these two pieces of art: "Apollo Belvedere" (Sometimes called Pythian Apollo (shooting an arrow) killing of the pyt

Southern families did not own a single slave, True or false By the Civil Wa...

True or false By the Civil War three out of four white southern families did not own a single slave.

What effect will these changes have on schools, Couples are having fewer an...

Couples are having fewer and fewer children, and are beginning to have children later. What effect will these changes have on schools and businesses?

Jefferson''s defense of the constitutionality, 1) Which is an example of a ...

1) Which is an example of a president's maintain a consistent position before and after election to office? A) Jefferson's defense of the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchas

Explain the experiences of immigrants to the united states, Describe the ex...

Describe the experiences of immigrants to the United States in the late 1800s. Explain how immigrants contributed to the nation's growth during this period. Please include lots of

Nathaniel''s nutmeg by giles milton, In class we have been discussing the n...

In class we have been discussing the novel Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton yet we do not have the book available and I cannot check it out at any nearby library. How did these t

How is the overall argument structured, What was the purpose of the Declara...

What was the purpose of the Declaration? Who do you think was the primary audience? How is the overall argument structured? How does the literary style compare to Paine's Com

Did the market revolution change american''s notions, Did the "market revol...

Did the "market revolution" change American's notions of the proper role of government in the United States between 1815-1840? • How did "self interest" lead to the shift from "

Subject of chief joseph''s comments, Use the quotation below to answer the ...

Use the quotation below to answer the following question. "If you tie a horse to a stake, do you expect he will grow fat? If you pen an Indian up on a small spot of earth, and c

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