Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere… One if by land, and two if by sea, and on the opposite shore I will be…
We’re all familiar with that old poem about Paul Revere, aren’t we?
I remember it being part of the grade school social studies curriculum. We learned about how Revere rode around to warn the colonists near Boston of a pending attack from the British military.
That’s all I knew about Paul Revere. Until recently.
I spent some time researching the apprenticeship model in colonial America this month. And it turns out that Revere was one of the most successful businessmen in Boston.
Paul Revere’s father Apollos Rivoire emigrated to America from France in 1715. He was thirteen years old.
We don’t know much about his early life in the colonies. But Rivoire went on to open at silversmith shop in Boston. He produced fine silverware and glassware, metal surgical tools, and ornate decorations made of gold and silver. And of course he would take customized jobs on a commission basis as well.
Rivoire then took in his son Paul as an apprentice in 1748. Paul was just fourteen years old at the time… but he flourished.
Paul mastered the silversmith craft and took on an ownership stake in the business. It became known in Boston as Revere and Son.
From there Paul expanded the business. He produced various household goods, jewelry, and all manner of tools for clockmakers and tinkers.
He also began dabbling in printmaking. Then he went on to open a bell foundry and America’s first copper rolling mill. The mill produced thin sheets of copper that would mold into industrial products.
Here’s an advertisement Paul put out on behalf of Revere and Son in 1787:
Clearly Revere wasn’t just a master craftsman. He had a knack for the commercial side of things as well.
And it all started with his apprenticeship at age 14. He learned both practical skills and common business sense.
We’ve been talking about America’s budding localist renaissance this week. I can’t help but think about the apprenticeship model as I look out at our world today.
For starters, we’ve extended childhood from the age of 13 or 14 – as it was in colonial America – to 18 years old. We call that interim period the teenage years. And we accept that teenagers are reckless, irresponsible, and often not very considerate of others.
But I have to ask – why is it that Paul Revere was responsible and productive at age 14 when today we expect very little from young people until they are well into their twenties? Is it possible that we’ve extended childhood artificially by exerting dominion over our kids until at least age 18?
It’s an interesting question.
And then, for going on three generations now, we have shipped our children off to public colleges and universities once they do turn 18. This outsourced the role of preparing our kids for the real world to college professors.
Of course, we did this because we wanted our children to get “good jobs”. And for a while it was a good deal. College graduates could integrate into corporate America and enjoy good salaries. Meanwhile, their friends with high school diplomas had to work in the factories for lower pay.
But as I look around at the state of life in America today – it’s very clear to me that the college model is broken. It just doesn’t pass a cost-benefit analysis anymore.
I’m thinking majors like sociology, philosophy, community-organizing, and fine arts here. Are those degrees worth the $100,000+ they cost to get? What are the career opportunities?
Then the worst of our public universities fill students’ heads with destructive and hateful ideas and ideologies. I’m horrified and disgusted by some of the stories I read coming from college campuses.
At the same time, I look around and see a wealth of opportunities in the middle America that we largely abandoned…
In my corner of the world, Baby Boomers own most of the local businesses. I’m talking about those old-world businesses that still require person-to-person interaction. HVAC companies… plumbing… electricians… masonry… local tax preparation… local event coordinators… even local restaurants…
The people who own these businesses in my area would love to start thinking about an exit strategy. They would love to sell the business or transition it over to new management. But there’s a problem. They can’t find anyone in the younger demographic interested and qualified to take over the business.
It’s anecdotal, but I’m very confident this dynamic exists in small towns throughout this land.
And I believe it’s because our society has de-valued this kind of work. In talking with business owners, they all say the same thing – that it’s almost impossible to find good help.
Yet, most of these businesses do hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue with minimal staffing requirements. Some of them do well into the millions in annual revenue. And that’s in small towns where the cost of living is much lower than the national average.
I can’t help but think that this sets the stage for a modern version of the apprenticeship model to make a comeback.
Modern apprenticing would provide young people with practical skills and common business sense. Just like the colonial version did. Except instead of working for free, modern apprentices would likely command a high salary right from the start.
Then after a few years they could be in a position to buy the business outright. Or perhaps they could help scale operations in exchange for an ownership stake or commissions on revenue generated.
This would enable enterprising young people to carve out a very profitable niche for themselves… just like Paul Revere did 270 years ago.
At the same time, the revival of interest in these local businesses could lead to a renaissance for small town USA. I see that as critical given how corrupt our major cities have become.
Who knows… maybe Thomas Jefferson’s vision for America will make a comeback.
-Joe Withrow