Horrible Jobs Of The Renaissance

During the Renaissance, people were pinned into their clothing, even elaborate gowns. Children often had to work as pin makers, a job that paid only about $1 for each 20,000 pins made! Clear--but gross--descriptions of other horrible jobs of the Renaissance will draw readers into the castles of lords and the dung heaps tended by peasants. The historical content supports the social studies curriculum, while sidebars and colorful images augment some of the strangest, nastiest tasks that needed doing during that time.

During the Renaissance, people were pinned into their clothing, even elaborate gowns. Children often had to work as pin makers, a job that paid only about $1 for each 20,000 pins made! Clear—but gross—descriptions of other horrible jobs of the Renaissance will draw readers into the castles of lords and the dung heaps tended by peasants. The historical content supports the social studies curriculum, while sidebars and colorful images augment some of the strangest, nastiest tasks that needed doing during that time.

During Medieval times, medical practice included bloodletting, leeching, and sometimes sawing off a hand or foot. Those must have been awful jobs! But the poor physicians didn't have it as bad as dung farmers or smelly fullers. Readers will discover the many terrible tasks that needed to be done, all while learning the social and political structure of Medieval Europe. Sidebars and historical images add even more detail for readers to enjoy--horrible though it may be!

As the 13 colonies grew, they prospered with new industries and trade. However, some of these trades, like tanning animal hides, were unpleasant. In fact, from slaves and indentured servants, to “mad hatters” and risk-taking whalers, jobs in the colonies could be downright horrible! Readers will delight in viewing the colonial world through a different lens while they continue to learn about life in early America. Enhanced by detailed images, the social studies content augments classroom learning through true—though sometimes disgusting—facts and examples of making a living in the 13 colonies.

Though ancient Greece and Rome had their share of terrible jobs, perhaps the worst was that of the Roman gladiator. He trained endlessly, only to fight for his life anytime entertainment was needed. While some gladiators became rich and famous, most were simply slaughtered. Readers can form their own opinions about the most horrible job in ancient Greece and Rome as they learn surprising information about time-consuming, smelly, and dangerous tasks. Historical images and illustrations highlight horrible laundry practices, food preparation, and living conditions of the time. No detail is too gross to include!

This fascinating book examines the 1990s rise of a new black ghetto in rust belt America, 'the global ghetto'. It uses the emergent perspective of 'racial economy' to delineate a fundamental proposition; historically neglected and marginalized black ghettos, in a 1990s era of societal boom and bust, have become more impoverished, more stigmatized, and functionally ambiguous as areas. As these ghettos grow in size and become more stigmatized entities in contemporary society, our understanding of them in relation to evolving cities and society has not kept pace. This book looks to the heart of this misunderstanding, to find out how race and political economy in cities dynamically connect in new ways ('racial economy') to deepen deprivation in these areas. This book is an essential read for students of geography, urban studies and sociology.

Harlem symbolized the urbanization of black America in the 1920s and 1930s. Home to the largest concentration of African Americans who settled outside the South, it spawned the literary and artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Its writers were in the vanguard of an attempt to come to terms with black urbanization. They lived it and wrote about it. First published in 1988, Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance examines the relationship between the community and its literature. Author Cary Wintz analyzes the movement's emergence within the framework of the black social and intellectual history of early twentieth-century America. He begins with Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, and others whose work broke barriers for the Renaissance writers to come. With an emphasis on social issues--like writers and politics, the role of black women, and the interplay between black writers and the white community--Wintz traces the rise and fall of the movement. Of special interest is material from the Knopf Collection and the papers of several Renaissance figures acquired by the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. It reveals much of interest about the relationship between the publishing world, its writers, and their patrons--both black and white.

Whether it's swilling out the crotch of a knight's soiled armor after the battle of Agincourt, risking his neck in the rigging of HMS Victory, or as "Groom of the Stool" going to places where none of Henry VIII's six wives would venture, Tony endures the worst jobs imaginable to get to the bottom (sometimes literally) of the story. From the Roman invasion to the reign of Queen Victoria, Tony has met the challenge of seeking out the worst jobs of each era. The Gunpowder Plot drew Tony to the role of the Saltpetre Man who collected human waste because its nitrate content could be turned into gunpowder. In the same vein, he has revealed some of the worst jobs behind the building of the great medieval cathedrals. With Tony we discover the dire conditions of Nelson's Victory, where the most common form of retirement was being sewn into a hammock with a couple of cannon balls and dropped over the side. Then there's the impact of the Industrial Revolution, a source of wealth and power for the few, but a cornucopia of lousy jobs for the many. Packed with disgusting yet fascinating professions, this book really gets into the grime of how life was for ordinary people, and provides a vivid alternative (and fairly disgusting) history of Britain.