ABSTRACT
Early manufacturing was carried out by journeymen and apprentices under the supervision and tutelage of master craftsmen. The masters negotiated, designed, and directed while the journeymen did most of the crafts work and the apprentices were labor, gofers, and power sources. For instance, an apprentice in a woodworking shop would have to turn the giant wheel over which a leather belt sped along turning the lathe. The journeyman held the tool to turn the chair leg, for instance, on the lathe. The master would judge if the two front legs for the chair turned out similar enough. If water power were available, the job of the apprentice might be easier. Apprentices were usually indentured servants for a period of 6 to 10 years. They were supposed to look over the shoulder of the journeyman to learn the trade. Some teaching (on-the-job-training) went on, as the master wanted the apprentice to be promoted to journeyman at the end of his indenture. An industrious father would want his son to be indentured to a good master who would bring the boy up into the business. The boy’s hard work was considered training, not child labor.
