13 Colonies Wheelwright

Wheelwrights Handled All Wheel-related Issues

Wheelwrights were important tradesman in colonial towns. They made wheels for wagons, carriages, and riding chairs. Because colonial roads were rocky and rugged, wheels had to be made to handle the rough conditions. Wheelwrights also built or repaired carts, wheelbarrows and wagons. Wheelwrights had to have precise measuring skills as well as knowledge of basic geometry. Wheelwrights were very important in farming regions, where farmers needed wheeled vehicles to move their crops.

Making Wheels

Constructing such a wheel was considerably difficult and took the skills of metal working and carpentry. Wheelwrights cut, chiseled, fashioned, and shaped wheels from wood. The spokes and hubs were also made of wood. They used iron rims, often made by local blacksmiths, to fit around the exterior of the wheels. Of particular difficulty was the process of perfecting the mortise and tenon process, where the wheelwright carved a cavity (mortise) in a piece of wood and shaped the tenon to fit in the cavity snugly. This is how the spokes were fastened in the hub and rim.

13 Colonies Artisans and Trades Articles and Activities

• 13 Colonies Artisans and Trades Printable Scavenger Hunt
• 13 Colonies Artisans and Trade Interactive Scavenger Hunt
• Life as a Blacksmith Reading Passage and Critical Thinking Multiple Choice Questions (Printable)
• Life as a Blacksmith Reading Passage and Critical Thinking Multiple Choice Questions (Interactive with Immediate Feedback and Score Report)
• Life as a Blacksmith Cloze Reading (Interactive with Immediate Feedback)
• Life as a Blacksmith Cloze Reading (Printable)
• Life as a Blacksmith Sentence Puzzles - Re-arrange the words and punctuation to form actual sentences. This program gives immediate feedback!
• Life as a Blacksmith Sentence Surgeons - Find and correct the bad spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the sentences. This program gives immediate feedback!
• 13 Colonies Trades Word Search
• 13 Colonies Trades Correct-me Paragraph - Identify and correct the incorrect facts in the paragraph. Very fun! This program gives immediate feedback!
• Ben Franklin and Colonial Printing Video

13 Colonies Artisans and Trades

• Apothecary
• Blacksmith
• Brickmaker
• Candlemaker
• Cobbler
• Cooper
• General Store Keeper
• Gunsmith
• Hatter
• Milliner
• Printer
• Religion in the 13 Colonies
• Saddlemaker
• Silversmith
• Tavern Keeper
• Wheelwright
• Wigmaker