8 City Worked: Occupation Colonial Stefan Biellins Callonsssalbany Social Project New York State Muse
8 City Worked: Occupation Colonial Stefan Biellins callonsssAlbany Social Project New York State Muse his essay addressesthe theme of how a city worked. mary, the Colonial Albany Project seeks to illuminate In this case, appreciating the play on words in the title and focus the life story of early Albany through the prism holds an important key toward understanding the of the lives of each early Albany person. developmentof an urban characterand urban identity for the city of Albany, New York during its colonial period No aspect of the lives of these people is more from 1686 to 1776. significant than their contributions to the pre-industrial community’s economy. That is, how they supported To date,most studiesof colonial cities and particularly themselves and their dependants-how they worked. the scholarship focused on early Albany either have This essaywill focus on the working people of colonial described community events, traced the evolution of Albany and will draw on the work profile data collected local institutions, or have offered the careersof the most so far by the Colonial Albany Social History Project to outstanding personages as the best ways of under- suggestan outline occupational framework for pre-urban standing the founding, growth, and developmentof what, workers in pre-industrial America. in the case of Albany, was a trading station, a military outpost, a commercial and communications center, and These laborers, artisans, craftspeople, transporters, then a seat of government and service on the west bank human services vendors, merchants and traders, and of the Hudson River, 150 miles north of Manhattan.’ professional people gave this colonial city its character, its identity, and its life.
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