Isabella II of Spain

Isabella II was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain.

Limited Wardrobes for Humble Women

Many humble women owned only two outfits: one for daily work and one for Sundays or feast days.

Long Skirts and Sandals

In the mid-19th century, Spanish women often wore skirts long enough to reach the floor, hiding their feet, although some began to show them while wearing sandals tied with blue ribbons.

Instruments and style in Levante

In the Spanish Levante region, popular music was often performed at home or during festivals using a variety of instruments, including the guitar, bandurria, violin, and traditional percussion like castanets, tambourines, and triangles. These performances were often simple and characterized by a melancholy, genuinely Moorish tone.

Social gatherings and lively dances

Ordinary people often enjoyed social gatherings in tabernas or outdoor settings where they participated in dances like the fandango, which was both sung and danced. These lively gatherings featured instruments like guitars and bagpipes to animate the atmosphere.

Crowded Travel in Covered Wagons

Travelers in the 1830s described extremely crowded conditions in covered wagons, or galeras, where passengers were packed so tightly that moving required everyone to agree to shift in unison.

Stagecoach travel revolutionizes Spanish transit

Organized stagecoach travel between major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia began in 1816, significantly reducing travel times by the 1850s. For example, a journey from Madrid to Barcelona that took about 13 days in the 1820s was reduced to 3 to 4 days by the 1850s.

Limited daily meals for the poor

In poor households, meals were often limited to eating once a day, consisting of simple items like garlic soup, a handful of figs, or a tomato with salt.

Schooling interrupted by child labor

Poor children often missed school to work as shepherds or errand boys, struggling to learn because they fell behind whenever they were pulled away for labor.

High bread prices in 1825

Bread was the essential base of the diet, but in 1825, prices in Jaén could reach as high as 75 reales per fanega due to shortages and market instability.

High cost of wheat in 1825

During periods of severe scarcity, such as in 1825, the price of a fanega of wheat in Jaén could reach as high as 75 reales.

Daily wages for laborers and artisans

In this period, laborers typically earned about four reales per day, while skilled workers could earn up to ten reales.

High cost of basic food basket

A family of four could spend nearly 70 percent of their daily income of ten reales just on basic food, including bread, oil, and beans. Meat was expensive and excluded from the daily diet of ordinary people.

Common occupations were farming, labor, and service.

Agriculture was the dominant occupation, while in urban areas, work often involved manual labor in ports, crafts, or domestic service. Domestic service was a primary job for rural women moving to cities.

Long working days and simple meals.

Working days were often dictated by sunlight or extended by artificial light in factories, sometimes reaching 12 to 14 hours. Miners and laborers might eat simple meals like garlic soup, costing about 3 reales per day.