Keepers of the revolution : New Yorkers at work in the early republic

They recreate the rhythms of daily life, clarify the impact of political and social changes on working people, and help us appreciate how these women and men-not just the country's founding fathers—were truly "keepers of the revolution." Paul A. Gilje and Howard B. Rock provide a general introduction to New York after independence and then devote sections of the book to apprentices, journeymen, master craftsmen, waterfront workers, blacks, and women. Most sections are anchored by several first-person accounts—autobiographies and reminiscences and include advertisements, courtcase testimony, newspaper reports, broadsides, appeals to Congress—all the colorful detail that can be used to illuminate the immediate, personal, lived experience of individuals of that particular time and place. A stunning group of illustrations adds to the reader's sense of the flavor and appearance of the rapidly growing city. __Keepers of the Revolution__ will find appreciative readers among labor, social, urban, and early American historians, as well as antique collectors and antiquarians interested in early New York.

They recreate the rhythms of daily life, clarify the impact of political and social changes on working people, and help us appreciate how these women and men-not just the country's founding fathers—were truly "keepers of the revolution."

Paul A. Gilje and Howard B. Rock provide a general introduction to New York after independence and then devote sections of the book to apprentices, journeymen, master craftsmen, waterfront workers, blacks, and women. Most sections are anchored by several first-person accounts—autobiographies and reminiscences and include advertisements, courtcase testimony, newspaper reports, broadsides, appeals to Congress—all the colorful detail that can be used to illuminate the immediate, personal, lived experience of individuals of that particular time and place. A stunning group of illustrations adds to the reader's sense of the flavor and appearance of the rapidly growing city.

Keepers of the Revolution will find appreciative readers among labor, social, urban, and early American historians, as well as antique collectors and antiquarians interested in early New York.

CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE A NOTE ON ABBREVIATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION 1. APPRENTICES AND YouTHS: Freedom, Ambition, and Tradition 2. JOURNEYMEN The Quest for Respectability 3. MASTER CRAFTSMEN: Competence, Independence, and Leadership 4. WATERFRONT WORKERS: Afloat and Ashore 5. AFRICAN AMERICANS: Extending the Bounds of Republicanism 6. WOMEN: In and Beyond the Household INDEX Describes social life and customs of the working people in New York after the Revolution. Includes sections on apprentices and youths, journeymen, master craftsmen, waterfrom workers, African Americans, and women.