Talk:Mechanic

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This article was selected as the article for improvement on 18 December 2017 for a period of one week.

What kind of mechanics did they have in the 18th century? Howard Zinn mentions them often in his A People's History of the United States in the sections on colonial America, but I can't tell what this term means. Thanks! -- Matt24 14:55, 28 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, according to Webster, a "mechanic" is also a generic term meaning "a manual worker; artisan". -- Matt24 19:25, 30 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But Zinn is still making some distinction, from page 99 of A People's History:

When the ninth and tenth states had ratified the Constitution, four thousand New York City mechanics marched with floats and banners to celebrate. Bakers, blacksmiths, brewers, ship joiners and shipwrights, coopers, cartmen and tailors, all marched. What Lynd found was that these mechanics, while opposing elite rule in the colonies, were nationalist. Mechanics comprised perhaps half the New York population. Some were wealthy, some were poor, but all were better off than the ordinary laborer, the apprentice, the journeyman, and their prosperity required a government that would protect them against the British hats and shoes and other goods that were pouring into the colonies after the Revolution. As a result, the mechanics often supported wealthy conservatives at the ballot box.

I guess by "mechanics" he means "highly skilled laborers" or "engineers" or something like that? -- Matt24 19:36, 30 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That'a an archaic or historical use of "mechanic", meaning "A manual worker, an artisan" (from OED). LDHan 23:20, 1 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dr. Johnson defined a "mechanick" as, A manufacturer; a low workman. By the 18th century, the word had evolved a bit, to signify some kind of skilled worker (as opposed to a servant, farm hand or retail clerk). --Orange Mike | Talk 00:52, 18 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I reverted this page to a much older version. The page prior to the revert was a vague and useless one line statement. This version seems to be the most useful version of this page prior to a large amount of vandalism which resulted in the said one line statement. —Preceding unsigned 142.46.57.29 (talk) 14:13, 12 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comparing the last two version shows that the only difference between the version you selected and the previous version is the image used. I can't tell to what 'vague and useless one line statement' you might be refering. While the previous picture of a bike mechanic in a bike shop doesn't have the posed artistry of the antique picture currently displayed, at least the bike mechanic isn't trying to round the edges off of a nut by torquing it with a crooked open-end wrench. -AndrewDressel (talk) 18:34, 8 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]