Colonial+Signs

COLONIAL SIGNS

Signs were important in Colonial Times because they advertised your trade. Go to this [|site] from the Colonial Williamsburg page to see what a colonial sign might look like. With your group or partner, create a sign for your trade. Keep in mind that some people in eighteenth century colonial America could not read or write. They relied on bold graphics and images in order to find what they needed.

Make sure your sign has the following elements:
 * A drawing representative of your trade
 * Minimal use of words - words should be written in calligraphy - this can be done by hand or by using the computer.

You will sketch your design in pencil first and then color your sign.

Your group will also be responsible for writing a single paragraph about your trade. When your group completes their work, we will include it on this wiki.

Use these two sites to help you with your research:

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[] - The Merchants of Colonial Cohentowne In Colonial Times gunsmiths had to be very skilled to make a gun barrel and flintlock because to make flintlock you had to be able to forge iron and steel into shape. Then they filed and fitted two locks together. Next to make the gun they had to harden those parts and temper them for wear resistance. Usually the stock was made from a piece of wood that was either made out of maple, walnut or cherry. The same tools a woodworker would use were used to inlay the metal parts into the stock and shape the stock to final size. At the end, most firearms were decorated with relief carving on the stock and engraving on metal surfaces. As you can see, gunsmiths worked very hard to make good guns.

W // eaving was one of the earliest trades in the colonial times. America’s dependence of supplies began on the day the English settlers set foot in North America. Williamsburg’s first cloth factory started in 1776. It was built on the banks of Queens Creek in the York country. //// Crafted of oak and pine, the design of the cantilever loom with a four-shaft counterbalance pattern device dates to the late 11th century in England. //// Cloth came from England, China and India. Colonial Weavers got colors for the cloth from natural resources such as walnuts (for brown), indigo (for blue), Spanish log wood trees (for purple), turmeric from India (for yellow) and madder plant roots (for orange). Also, wool fabric was the easiest material to dye. // To conclude, weaving was important to colonial people. ** ! **
 * In Colonial Times wealthy Europeans would buy guns that were handmade. Some guns that were made in Colonial Times were rifles, muskets, shotguns and German pistols. You needed steady hands to be a gunsmith. To make a barrel and flintlock, you needed to be talented in forging iron and steel into shape. The stock was made out of wood, usually maple, walnut or cherry trees. You had to have the skills of a woodworker to carve designs in the stock. The gunsmith had to be able to cast brass, bronze, and silver to construct the butt plate, trigger guard and side plate. As you can see colonial gunsmiths were very remarkable. **

The 18th century was an important part of Colonial Times. The silversmith was relied on to make platters, silverware, bowls and plates. The silversmith was the inventor of the original coffeepot. They made the bowl by hammering the sides of the silver to make it round. Silversmiths worked with precious silver and metal. Sometimes silversmiths would call themselves goldsmiths for added prestige. Silversmiths in Virginia faced many challenges. For example, the greatest one was obtaining unfinished silver. The only silver that Great Britain allowed the colonies to import was in the form of unfinished pieces. If other people gave silversmiths gold or silver, they would pay that person. To conclude it is clear that silversmiths were very important.

Our sign represents a trading spot where anybody can come to trade objects such as, gold, silver, jewels, and fur for any kind of clothes. In colonial times the men wore sophisticated suits. The woman wore hoops under their dresses to make a poof at the bottom. The word “tailoring” means “the art of cutting” in many languages, and indeed, it is the cut of the fabric that makes a garment fit the body to perfection. A tailor would make clothes for men and women. A tailor’s skill in measuring an individual’s body and making a pattern from those measurements determined how well a garment fit. The tailoring trade originally included gown making. Shirts, stockings, hats, and capes were ready made, but coats, breeches, stays, and gowns were custom made for individuals. Women’s clothes made by tailors included stays, riding habits, and hoops. That’s what our trading spot represents, a trading spot where anybody can come to trade objects such as, gold, silver, jewels, and fur for any kind of clothes.

Our blacksmith shop has great things that blacksmiths use such as an anvil, a hammer, tongs, a vise, and a file. We mainly use the two best metals; iron and steel. Iron and steel were also called the black metals. We heat the bars of black metal red-hot, or should I say //yellow-hot//. Then we use sledgehammers that sometimes weigh up to 12 pounds to smash it into various shapes. Coal and charcoal are used to heat our fires. The charcoal is fresh from the mines northwest of Richmond. To soften the metal, we heat it to approximately 2,000 °f. We also make things for fellow business men. For example, we make the tyres for the wheelwrights. So we are always ready to help you anytime, any day. As you can see, blacksmiths were very important in Colonial Tlimes.

In Colonial Times, apothecaries, which today would be like a doctor’s office or pharmacy, did more than you think they did. For example, they provided medical treatments, medicines, surgeries, trained apprentices, and had people who served as man-midwives. Some of the ingredients that were used in colonial remedies are the basis for modern medications. They included chalk for heartburn, calamine for skin irritations, and cinchona bark for fevers. Medical treatments were expensive and individuals frequently diagnosed their own problems and compounded medications guided by tradition, folklore, or domestic medical books. Back then, when people got headaches, they were treated with vinegar of roses, a remedy made of rose peddles dipped in vinegar and applied often. To conclude, this paragraph clearly states that apothecaries in Colonial Times had a lot to do.

W ig Makers made hand sewn wigs and hairpieces for both ladies and gentlemen. A popular men’s hair piece was called a queue. Wig makers cut and dressed hair. However, they didn’t just sell and make wigs. Wig makers were also trained to sell soaps and perfumes.Trade men, merchants, clergy, military, and ship captains all wore wigs to show their status. Another reason why people wore wigs was because they were popular and fashionable.W ig maker shops were usually located near taverns. It took six men six days to finish a single wig. To conclude, it is clear, the wig markers were very important in Colonial Times.