John J. Emery

Music

Shape-note singing and The Sacred Harp

The Sacred Harp, a popular songbook during this era, taught music using a shape-note system where different note head shapes represented various pitches.

At the table

The monotonous diet of pork and corn

For many ordinary families, especially in the South and on the frontier, the diet was monotonous, often centering on the three M's: meat (pork), meal (cornmeal), and molasses. This daily fare was typically cooked in lard and served as simple, one-pot stews or cornbread.

Daily life

Cooking demanded exhausting daily labor

Cooking on heavy cast iron stoves required constant labor, as a woman might spend four hours daily sifting ashes, lighting fires, and hauling wood or coal.

What people wore

Lacing a 1840s corset

To put on a corset in the 1840s, a woman had to lace it through up to 36 eyelets located in the back.

Getting around

Stagecoach travel was bumpy and slow

Stagecoaches pulled by four horses traveled at 6 to 10 miles per hour, often requiring passengers to ride for 12 to 14 hours a day. The ride was notoriously uncomfortable, with passengers often packed tightly together and bouncing violently as the carriage moved.

What it cost

Weekly wages for laborers and skilled workers

In 1851, an unskilled laborer often earned just $1 a week, while a skilled worker like a shoemaker earned $4 to $6 per week.