I want you to place yourself within the shoes of this young boy and learn just what life is like as a colonial apprentice.

      Nathanial, who is now a fine adult journeyman printer, began to learn his trade much like most. At the tender age of 14 years, Nathanial belonged to a large farming family. Quite able to feed his family, Nathanial’s father knew that only his oldest son would inherit his lands and he may be able to help buy land for some of his older boys. But, Nathanial’s father knew that there would be little to no inheritance for Nathanial. Having learned the basics of reading and writing, Nathanial grew to be a boy who wanted nothing more than to read incessantly. He looked forward to trading days in his county hoping to trade books with others.

      In consideration of Nathanial’s talents and failings, his father was able to arrange him an apprenticeship in the printing trade. As was customary, an indenture was agreed upon between the print shop owner and Nathanial’s father. The owner agreed to pay Nathanial’s father £10 and 12 shillings. He also agreed to house, feed and cloth the boy and to teach him the secret arts of the printing trade. In the indenture agreement the owner also grant Nathanial his freedom either on his 21st birthday or the day he became a journeyman printer.

      Freedom? Why yes, my friend. An indenture is a signed contract that legally bound Nathanial as the property of the print shop owner. The owner was not “adopting” the boy, but owning him! An indenture was a short term contract, often for 7 years. The person being indentured gave up their rights and freedoms in exchange to either learn a trade, or to have their owner pay off their bad debts.

      For the next many years, Nathanial lived with the printer’s family. Ate with them, slept in their home and worked 6 days a week for most likely 12 to 16 hours a day. His duties could include any number of things. Cleaning up, running errands, laborious tasks that journeymen did not care to do. Yet, throughout all these years, they slowly and completely taught him his art. He mastered writing copy, setting type, making ready the form, wetting paper, inking the type, operating the press, trimming and folding paper, redistributing the type, making ink and much, much more. In his youth, Nathanial sometimes felt that his tasks were too hard for a boy in his teens, but once grown, he could see how the hard work had developed not only the strength of his body, but also taught him valuable lessons in his trade.

      Nathanial understood his place in the working household. He was not family. He was not an adopted member of the family. He was an indentured servant. This placed him as less than a family member but above being a slave. His quarters were sparse, his possessions even less. But, he knew that if he worked hard and earned the respect of the journeyman printers around him, he would earn the respect of his Master. If his Master thought well of him, then he would be treated better. Better meals, nicer cloths, more access to the Master’s private library and more advanced teachings. If he performed poorly or was lazy, then he may be whipped or beaten. But Nathanial need not worry about that. He loved learning his trade and became a respected part of the print shop.

      Although his mother and father taught him basics of learning his letters, to read and ciphering, a printer had to be literate and able to calculate numbers. Part of his indenture ship meant that at night he was taught to read and do math. Insatiable in learning, Nathanial found that a printer’s devil had a wealth of knowledge at his finger tips. From the books for sale in his Master’s shop, papers printed in his own shop, or the Master’s own private library in the house. He absorbed all he could. He so loved books, that it was a rare moment that Nathanial did not have either a book under his arm or his nose buried deeply in a tome.

      After those long seven years, Nathanial’s term of indenture ship was complete. Because of his hard work, Nathanial was proudly presented his journeyman printer status. From that day forward, he was released to become a free man and began earning a pay instead of earning a skill. At 21, Nathanial had read more books than many of the scholars of his day. He had listened to the learned men who frequented the printer’s shop to buy books. Their advise and wisdom became his. Through all of the books he read and the great men he knew, Nathanial had grown from a boy with no future, to that of a learned man who’s trade was well respected  …. As was Nathanial.