Henriette Saisset

What people wore

Long men's shirts

In the mid-nineteenth century, men's shirts were cut long enough to reach almost to the knees, making optional drawers unnecessary.

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.

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.

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.