Blacksmiths as Community Builders: Then and Now
From the moment blacksmiths divined a method of forging iron to make stronger weapons and tools, the chosen few who could wield this skill became critical members of the community. Everyone from farmers to carpenters to soldiers relied on their village blacksmith for the tools they needed for daily life. When the industrial revolution came along, tools, hardware, and other staples of the blacksmithing craft could be built en masse in factories. Eventually, the need for the village blacksmith lar