Updated:

“Artisans in Merchant Towns” by Sean Cadigan Essay (Critical Writing)

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Sean Cadigan describes the artisans as a political and economic fraternity of labor aristocrats and petite bourgeoisie struggling against the interest of the great merchants in staple trade. He also describes them as those capable of becoming other than workers, industrialists, or petty producers locked into conflict with staple merchants.

In his thesis, he is right in the way he describes or defines the merchants because from his article we can see the artisans constantly locked in a tussle or in a battle of supremacy with the merchants over control of trade. This can be seen when he talks about the building of the Anglican Church in which John Sawer, an artisan, is blamed by the merchants for underestimating the building expense. Governor Waldegrave on the other hand blames the merchants for their over-pricing of the building materials. This highlights the conflict between the merchants and the artisans in their quest for actualization and Sean’s definition of the artisans best captures this.

In this discussion, the author talks about the rise of the artisans, their struggle to make ends meet and to succeed in their trade. The artisan’s labor under economic disparities comes from the way in which fishery dominated the economy. They employed most of the labor force leaving little for the artisans. He also mentions the high pricing of goods and raw materials by merchants as problems that affected the artisans which is definitely an economic truth.

The increase in economic activities and administration, the increased growth in population not forgetting the Napoleonic war which generated demand for artisans and the need to increase buildings are some of the factors he mentioned as having contributed to the growth of the artisans. This is definitely a true fact considering the town and its opportunities.

Sean Cadigan’s discussion of artisans in a town is very detailed and idea-based whilst informative and well researched. For example, is when he talks about the problems faced by the artisans he gives evidence of these problems. For instance, when he talks about economic problems facing the artisans like homeownership, he depicts how few artisans owned homes and he gives a number that is 139 out of 591 households in the town. This coupled with other evidence like the court cases he mentions that faced the artisans clearly gives evidence or clearly describes the lives of the artisans.

It will be untrue or unrealistic to conclude or surmise that all of Cadigan’s evidence is tangible or factual. Some are clearly speculative thus undermining the credibility of this thesis. For instance, he says that “Little evidence exists to allow an assessment of the place of the place of the artisans within the social and economic structure of St.Johns although artisan in other parts of North America generally fell into the upper strata of producing classes as marketers of skill instead of labor”. He also says that “After 1699 other planters could have established rights to land by interrupted usage in fish trade….” All this is mere speculation or deduced evidence that might be true or not and needs further research to authenticate.

The evidence he implored in his thesis supports his argument and it makes clear all that he says about this merchant as he discusses them. The text is also very much logical because it talks about the artisans, the challenges they faced in their quest for success, and how they overcame them giving all the evidence to support his argument.

In comparison with Bumsteads writing, Cadigan’s writing is quite detailed with great dwelling on the economic perspective on the lives of the artisans. Bumstead’s writing on the other hand dwells more on the ethnic perspective of the lives of the native Americans. The detailed level of coverage of the topic exhibits a great understanding and research effort he has put into it. Bumstead’s writing has a general outlook on the lives of the Native Americans in Canada, but Cardigans article is more specific on the nature and struggles in the economic lives of the artisans in Newfoundland in particular. The reason why this particular topic is not covered by Bumstead is that his writing in general, but this article concentrates on a particular issue in a specific area.

Sean Cadigan being a historian majorly uses historical evidence, for instance, the Napoleonic war and others, and this influences his writing and can explain why he relies on historical information and possibly not other factors that might have contributed to the same like economic factors.

Reference

Bumstead J.M. A history of the Canadian peoples Oxford University Press 2007.

Sean Cadigan. Artisans in Merchant Towns. St. Johns Newfoundland, 1775-1816.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, September 23). "Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan. https://ivypanda.com/essays/artisans-in-merchant-towns-by-sean-cadigan/

Work Cited

""Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan." IvyPanda, 23 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/artisans-in-merchant-towns-by-sean-cadigan/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) '"Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan'. 23 September.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. ""Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan." September 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/artisans-in-merchant-towns-by-sean-cadigan/.

1. IvyPanda. ""Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan." September 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/artisans-in-merchant-towns-by-sean-cadigan/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. ""Artisans in Merchant Towns" by Sean Cadigan." September 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/artisans-in-merchant-towns-by-sean-cadigan/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1