Gr8BNews

= Grade 8 Homeroom 8B = = Colonial Day News   = **Colonial Trades: Blacksmith** By Madison, Ciani, Juliana, and Kelcy   Blacksmiths make items out of iron and steel. Coal heated iron bars and these bars were cast, bent and welded into household appliances. Blacksmiths used forges, anvils, hammers, tongs, vises and files. Forges heated iron and steel; anvils, hammers, tongs, vises and files were used to make the iron and steel into different shapes. Blacksmiths did not need much formal education although they apprenticed another blacksmith for some amount of years. Blacksmiths needed to be strong and be able to work with metals. Blacksmiths were needed in colonial time because inhabitants needed farming tools and other household appliances. People would want to do this job because they might want to create things. This work would be satisfying because if you were talented you would receive a lot of respect.

By Emily and Melanie A Blacksmith forms items out of iron and steel. The blacksmith heats the steel or iron over a fire until it is soft and then strikes it with a hammer to shape it into a tool. The blacksmith used a forge, anvil, hammer, tongs, vise, and a file. The anvil is a large block of steel which the blacksmith used to shape the tools on. The forge is the furnace in which the metal was heated. The hammer was used to pound the metal into shapes. The tongs were used to pick up the hot metal after it was heated. The vise was used to hold the metal in position while the blacksmith pounded the metal. Lastly, the file was used to make details in the tools to complete them. The apprentice started to work around when they were 12 to 14 and ended when they were 21. They needed to have a good education and be strong to use the hammer blacksmith’s used for work. This job was needed to make tools for the colonial people for daily use like farming tools. The community could always get new tools if needed. A blacksmith pays well and they have the satisfaction of helping other people’s needs. ** Colonial Trades: Basket maker ** By Juliana, Kelcy, Madison and Ciani Basket making was a house hold job, were all members of the family made baskets for everyday use. Basket makers started with green, six-foot sections of 10-inch diameter logs and split them into sixteenths. They saved the reddish heartwood for basket handles. Slicing along the growth rings, the knife peeled away long flexible, wooden ribbons. The weaving and plaiting required more nimbleness than strength, and both men and women made baskets and taught the children as soon as they were old enough to learn. They used an ax, a few wedges, a large knife and a supply of saplings. The baskets would be made with ash, hickory, cedar, white oak and reeds they used the ax, wedges and the knife to break down the supplies, making it easier to turn into a basket. Basket making was “domestic”, meaning it upheld in the house hold, therefore it wasn’t a business, and it didn’t need certain education or apprentices. This job was needed because homes needed baskets for their everyday life. It made it easy to carry or hold things. People did this job because it saved their family money, so they didn’t have to go out and buy baskets. I would work here because I would want to help my family save money in any way I could. ** Colonial Trades: Basketmaking ** Caroline, Maddy, Kelly, Erin Basketmaking is a domestic activity and is not a business. They make baskets out of white oak. They made the baskets from first cutting logs into sixteenths. They made the baskets from slicing the growth rings and removing the inside of the growth ring. Then they weaved them together. To make a basket the person would need and ax, a few wedges, a knife, and a saplings. They were used for carrying objects easily. They were taught by their parents when they became of a certain age. They needed to have well rounded weaving skills. This job was needed so households could have places to carry their belongings. This did not have community benefits but more household benefits. In my opinion, I think that this trade would benefit my family because if we did not have baskets we would have no places for our things and life would be hard. By Delaney, Megan, Rachel, Naiya Finished weapons required fine detail work on iron and steel, the carving of decorative designs, hammering and casting brass and silver into complex shapes, and engraving hard and soft medals. Gunsmiths often repaired axes and other items made by blacksmiths, cast shoe buckles and other items like bells, and sometimes repaired silver objects. These skills were usually learned in an apprenticeship lasting five to seven years. A male youth began his apprenticeship between the ages of 12 and 14 years and completed it by the time he was 21. Colonial gunsmithing required the skills of a blacksmith, whitesmith, founder, and woodworker to build a gun. To provide guns for those who needed them in battle. These could help the community incase of attacks or to get ride of something that was unwanted.
 * Colonial Trades: Blacksmith **
 * Colonial Trades: Gunsmithing **

By Katie, Tracey, Claire, and Maggie In Colonial times, the boy’s day started at 7 am in a school room. They studied math, Greek, Latin, science, geography, astronomy history, fencing, social etiquette, and plantation management. They had breakfast at 9am and dinner between 2 and 5 pm. Girls learned reading, writing, and arithmetic. They studied art, music, French, social etiquette, needlework, spinning, weaving, cooking, and nursing. The teachers had lots of authority over children. They also got breaks. We think the best part of the day would be the delicious colonial food! Back in colonial times schools were different than they are today. Back then only boys had the chance to have a higher education. Now, girls can also go to college. The colonial children were taught in one room school houses, while today there are larger schools. Back then, the teachers could also punish children more severely for misbehaving then they can today. A similarity is that the curriculum in colonial days included things which we learn today, such as reading and writing. A dame school is where young boys would go to learn, somewhat like our daycare today. The horn books and New England primer were the books used, because paper was scarce so they had to write in books. These books are like the school books today because they both have lesson involving our future. They teach most of the curriculum that we are learning today, our lessons today might be more advanced because over the years we have learned more. We would rather attend school today because school in colonial days was not as strong for girls. They had more lessons about housework and less about real schooling. The teachers were also sticker. The teachers would discipline the kids by whipping them, which is now, know as child abuse. Another reason we prefer our education today is because women can speak there minds and be independent, and not concentrated on be good housewives, instead wanting to be doctors. By Carla, Kali, Devon, and Jessie A typical day for a colonial woman was taking care of the house and children. They were homemakers, cooked meals, made household goods to use and sell, maintained a cook fire and tended the kitchen gardens, took care of their household animals, made clothing, and doctored their family as well as cleaned. They often married at the age of 13 or 14; they were publicly humiliated if they weren’t married by 24, also if they killed there husband they would be burned alive. I would rather be a woman now than colonial times because now women have children to do some of the chores and men just don’t work they usually cook for their spouse. Also instead of making clothes you can go out and buy clothes, which is much less time consuming and less work. Most women are 24 and not married and aren’t publicly humiliated; also most 13-14 year olds are still considered children or “teens” Colonial times weren’t very hard for the people who lived through it because, for them, it was tradition. However, today when we look back, we think that they had it pretty bad with their lack of technology. Men in colonial times would have to do chores on the farm for most of the day and do most of the physical labor. However, the men also had their perks. The father of the house would usually have a good chair while the rest of the family sat on benches. I would rather be a man during the colonial time period because they were the most powerful in the household. That is some what true today, but now women are more independent. Therefore, I would rather be a woman today, but a man many years ago. I would rather be a child now rather than in Colonial times. A normal day for colonial children was very hard. They would have to do many difficult, dirty chores. The boys would have to harvest crops, hunt animals, and many other things. Girls would make soap and candles and spin wool, sheer the sheep, feed chickens, sweep the house, and cook all the time along with many other things. Their lives seemed a lot harder than ours. To get clothes we go shopping and we don’t make our clothes, we have dishwashers to clean the dishes. Girls would have to wear very big, uncomfortable dresses and skirts and were not allowed to wear pants. We can wear dresses but we mostly wear pants and shirts. At breakfast, in colonial times, the children ate grains cooked up such as oatmeal or corn. Also, they would pop popcorn and eat it with milk. The families would get there food by either growing it or killing it. When the children would eat they would not talk without sir, madam, etc. in a sentence at the table. Also, the children only had knives and spoons, but most ate with their hands. The colonial meal time was too proper for me. They sit up straight and use sir, madam, etc. before every sentence. I would not try to eat a meal as they did because I could never use the right manners through the entire dinner. By Maggie, Caroline, Marissa, Lizzie Children of colonial times wore simple clothes. Boys wore a suit made of cotton and when they are little would wear a gown similar to a girl’s nighttime. Boys would switch to suits when they reached the age of seven. Girls wore basic gowns and a bonnet. Children of today are not as dressed up and wear comfortable clothes like jeans, sweatpants, etc. People in colonial times sewed their clothing, or they would go to the milliner’s shop. Milliners were like tailors today, they could make dresses for women or coats for men. They could make a dress in a day. They would dye their clothing to color it. They made most people’s clothing at home where the mother would sew it together. Sewing would take place after dinner or whenever the mother had spare time. Men in colonial times would sometimes wear banyan, breaches, a coat, a cloak, a cravat, a hat, a hunting shirt, leggings or spatter dashes, Monmouth or Monmouth cap, a neck handkerchief, negligee cap, a shirt, shoes, stockings or hose, stocks, a suit, trousers, under draws, a waistcoat, and finally a wig. These clothes are similar to the clothes men wear today because wherever men go, they wear a certain outfit for the occasion. For example, a man goes hunting, he wouldn’t wear a suit, which is supposed to be worn on special occasions, they would wear hunting gear. But they are different because today, men’s clothing is a lot simpler. They usually just wear a shirt, pants, shoes, and underwear. But as you can see, men in colonial times would wear many articles of clothing, unlike today. The women in colonial times would wear a gown with a petticoat, a sleeve, a bodice, a stomacher, a cap, and jewelry. With the gown they would wear a hat or a bonnet; also they would wear a neck kerchief and high heels. They would bring with them a pocket book, handbag, a muff, and a fan. Today women would probably wear jeans, sweatpants, shorts, skirts, dresses, or slacks; they would also wear a t-shirt, blouse, tank tops, or sweaters; as shoes they would wear sneakers, flats, high heels, boots, or slippers. In the colonials and today we still wear high heels, we use hand bags, and we also still wear gowns.
 * Schooling**
 * Every Day Life in Colonial Times **
 * Colonial Clothing **