Skip to content
VitrineRoyal Houses of Europe
Sign in

William Rhinelander Stewart

1852–1929

Born
1852, New York City
Country of birth
United States
Died
1929
facts
6
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth1852, New York CityProbable1 source
  • Death1929Probable1 source
  • UnionAnnie McKee ArmstrongConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · New York City

    Birth, New York City

  2. Child born: Anita Stewart

    Birth, New York City

  3. Died

    Death

What was it like?

The world around New York City, 1852: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

William was born the same year as Albert Abraham Michelson, Charles W. Fairbanks, and Francisco Tárrega.

Who ruled

  • Millard Fillmore

    President of the United States, 1850–1853 · United States

  • Franklin Pierce

    President of the United States, 1853–1857 · United States

  • James Buchanan

    President of the United States, 1857–1861 · United States

Born the same year

  • Albert Abraham Michelson

    American physicist (1852–1931)

  • Charles W. Fairbanks

    American politician; Vice President of the United States from 1905 to 1909 (1852–1918)

  • Francisco Tárrega

    Spanish composer and classical guitarist (1852-1909)

  • Alice Liddell

    English woman, basis of the character in "Alice in Wonderland" (1852–1934)

  • Henrique Oswald

    Brazilian composer (1852–1931)

  • Daniel Burley Woolfall

    President of FIFA from 1906 to 1918

Fashion

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.

Around 1840–1849

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.

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.

Getting around

Long-distance overland mail delivery times

In the 1850s, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches were contracted to carry mail nearly 2,800 miles from Missouri to San Francisco in 25 days. By 1859, efficiency had improved, with the average trip time decreasing to about 21 and a half days.

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.

Daily life

Children used slates instead of paper

Because paper was expensive, schoolchildren used slates and slate pencils or chalk for their daily work instead of paper.

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.

Food

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.

Whiskey and cider as everyday staples

Alcoholic drinks were a daily staple, with whiskey being so standard it was often used as a form of currency or barter in place of coins. Many families kept a barrel of hard cider on tap, serving it at every meal even to small children.

Prices and wages
Around 1851–1851

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.

Around 1861–1861

Cost of bacon in 1861

In 1861, a pound of bacon cost 8 cents in New York City, while the same item cost 16 cents in Charleston.

Work
Around 1860–1860

Common Jobs in 1860

Farming was the most common occupation for men in 1860, while many women worked as domestic servants or textile operatives.

Alcohol Provided at Work

Workers often received alcohol during shifts, such as a daily half-pint of rum or whiskey provided by their employer.

During their lifetime

  1. 1862

    Homestead Act Signed in 1862

    The Homestead Act allowed individuals to claim 160 acres of free land if they lived on and improved it for five years.

  2. 1876

    Telephone Invented in 1876

    Alexander Graham Bell exhibited the telephone, a device that would eventually quicken social and economic life for millions.

  3. 1877

    Great Railroad Strike Occurs in 1877

    The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 marked the beginning of major industrial labor confrontations over wages and working rules.

  4. 1882

    Chinese Exclusion Act Passed in 1882

    The Chinese Exclusion Act suspended immigration of Chinese laborers under penalty of imprisonment and deportation.

  5. 1917

    U.S. Enters World War I in 1917

    In 1917, the United States formally entered World War I, leading to mass mobilization that involved 24 million men registering for the draft.

  6. 1929

    Stock Market Crashes in 1929

    The U.S. stock market crashed in 1929, leading to the Great Depression and leaving nearly one-third of American banks failed by 1933.

Family

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.