“El trabajo femenino en la ciudad de México a mediados del siglo XIX”

Abstract

This article examines female workers in mid-nineteenth century Mexico City in order to further our understanding of the social and economic life of that city.  Although there are studies that have examined female workers and employment in Mexico City, we still do not have an abundant historiography on this problem and period. These pages analyze the diverse trades and activities of a broad group of women and their primary characteristics (age, origin, civil state), using data from the Padrón de la Municipalidad de México of 1842, a source that offers a statistical sample that is broader and more trustworthy than those used in previous studies. The first part of this work briefly presents several general characteristics of the urban population to frame the study of female workers. These general lines permit an evaluation of the evolution of female employment as well as a comparison with data from part of the census of Revillagigedo and with additional sources and testimonies.