The Craft Apprentice: From Franklin to the Machine Age in America
By W. J. Rorabaugh (NHC Fellow, 1983–84) The apprentice system in colonial America began as a way for young men to learn valuable trade skills from experienced artisans and mechanics and soon flourished into a fascinating and essential social institution. Benjamin Franklin got his start in life as an apprentice, as did Mark Twain, Horace … Continued