Working for a Living

FARMING

Most colonists were farmers altho it was hard work. Farmers cleared acres of land for their farming property. They planted thing such as, wheat, barley, rye, flax, hemp, oats, beans, corn, peas, tobacco, onions, melons, apples, pears, and patches. Farmer also kept animals such as, pigs, chickens, and cows.

Craft worker

Craft workers have very sophisticated jobs. A craft worker can be a tailor, cooper, glass blower, candle maker, or a shoe maker. Craft workers have a lot of knowledge, skill, and have tools to make necessity. Craft workers may have apprentices starting from age 6 cleaning up the shop and age 14 learning to do the craft. Craft worker clothe, feed, and care for their apprentices. Apprentices may be paid very little or nothing at all. Soon the apprentices may leave by age 20 and make a shop of their own.

Young apprentices helping a carpenter.

Slaves

Slaves are usually black Africans kidnapped from their country. Slaves are forced to work and are sold and bought by people. Slaves don't get paid and get treated dreadfully.

These are slaves cooking for the master

Indentured Servants

Indentured servants did a lot of work. Indentured servants have a contract with a colony worker that the worker has to care for them, shower them, and clothe them. In return the Indentured servants would help them out with basics at first. Later they will help them out with stuff that require skill and the tasks would be ordinary stuff the craft does. Indentured servants will get little or no pay.

This indentured servant is helping bakery owner cook food.

A family at work

Men

Men are very busy workers. They cleared fields for property and for the animals. They also hunted, cut trees, plowed fields, and planted crops. Men hunted peasants, squirrels, rabbit, and more animals that were out in the wild.

These are men plowing the fields.

Women

In colonial life women worked many jobs. Women most importantly had to cook, bake, and make food for the family of what they have and the hunts the men gave them. In addition women did house chores such as cleaning up and making soap. Women had to take care of the kids with the help of their daughters too.

A Colonial Child's Life

Chores:

Kids did chores such as unweeded fields, carried wood, took ashes out of fires, and fed animals.

Fun:

For fun kids played with dolls made with natural materials. They also played card games, raced (running), and sang songs.

Education:

Young kids were either home schooled by their parents or they went to school but had very little schooling. Schools were run by a family's church. School taught religion and morals as well as reading and writing. Usually the bible was the only book a school had. Books were rare so they used a hornbook. A hornbook is a piece of paper in a frame covered by a thin piece of a bulls horn.