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Artisans for Independence: Philadelphia Mechanics and the American Revolution
Artisans for Independence Philadelphia Mechanics and the American Revolution Author:Charles S. Olton How the common man in America felt about the long struggle for independence and the early shaping of the new nations has recently become the subject of renewed historical investigation. This book is a case study of an aggressive and active segment of those comon men, the master craftsmen of America's biggest and most dynamic city during the peri... more »od 1765-90.
American artisans had much to gain from independence. Their industries were viable, and sometimes even booming, but they were working at cross-purposes with the mercantile policies and practices of the British Empire, which restricted and contained their growth. Artisans had equally as deep concern about "who should rule at home" as the new nation formed. They were the most populous urban social classes, but they were also a class traditionally ignored by the social and political power structures. It is not surprising that they combined an intense nationalism with a determination to become a central force in defining the structure and direction of the Revolution in its urban setting. Notes, bibliography and index are included.« less