Final answer:
Measurement before standardized systems were based on human dimensions and varied by region, with units like inches and yards defined differently in different places. The customary system, including feet and pounds, is now the standard in the U.S., with uniformity efforts beginning in the eighteenth century.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the use of standardized systems, measurement often relied upon human dimensions and various arbitrary standards that differed from one place to another. For example, an inch was based on the distance between the knuckles on a finger, and a yard could be the span from an extended index finger to the nose of the British king. These methods were not uniform and varied by region, leading to confusion and difficulties in trade and communication.
The customary system of measurement, mainly used in the United States, now includes standardized units such as feet, inches, and pounds. It was only in the eighteenth century that efforts were made to establish more uniform, international standards of measurement. Similarly, the metric system was proposed after the French Revolution and became widely adopted by scientists, though not officially by the United States at that time.