The bustling streets of a prosperous town in colonial America featured a variety of homes, businesses, and shops. Many of these shops were run by craftsmen who performed every service from blowing glass to making furniture. In this colonial world, American craftsmen relied on an apprenticeship system. Boys served a master for around four or five years, during which they learned the trade. If all went well, at the end of their indenture the apprentices became journeymen and left to earn a living and save up enough to open their own shops as masters. Some of these shops, such as the bakery or the tailor shop, still exist to an extent in American cities today. However, other key colonial trades and services have all but disappeared from modern life. Silversmiths Silversmiths represent a trade that played an interesting role in colonial life but is only practiced by a small group …