Infante Miguel of Portugal

Music

Common instruments of the era

The viola was the preferred instrument across Brazil during this period, while the piano remained a rare and expensive luxury item found only in the wealthiest households. Musicians often crafted their own instruments, including flutes, fiddles, tambourines, and scrapers like the reco-reco.

At the table

Dining on the floor

In many homes, especially outside the elite, families did not use tables; they sat on the floor around a mat, eating from bowls and gourds.

Daily life

Classrooms Shared with Animals

Many primary schools were located in old houses with dirt floors, where students often shared space with animals like pigs and chickens.

What people wore

Informal home attire for men

Brazilian men often discarded stiff outer layers at home, wearing only a cotton shirt, knee-length breeches, and clogs. Only a few elite men owned nightgowns, which were used to signal worldliness and status.

Getting around

Mule trains took months to travel

Travelers often relied on long journeys by mule train that could take between two and three months to complete.

What it cost

Subsistence and earnings in urban Recife

In the city of Recife between 1827 and 1837, the daily cost for the subsistence of an enslaved person was 120 réis, while they could generate a daily net income of 200 to 240 réis in simple occupations.