Module 1: Daily Life in Stafford
Living off the Land
At a very young age, Stafford children were needed to provide for their family. In late 19th century Stafford County, over 50% of boys over the age of 12 were listed on the U.S. Census as “farm laborer,” or “day laborer”, including some as young as 8 years old. This was particularly true of black children who had limited education and apprenticeship opportunities. Boys, with rare exceptions, proceeded into the same profession as their fathers.
Stafford County Employment 1900 Census
Farmer/Laborer
Day Laborer
Merchant
Boatsman/Fisherman
Railroad
Servant
Teacher
Logging
79.7%
5.4%
2.8%
2.6%
1.7%
1.6%
1.3%
1.0%
Not afforded the same opportunities as men, only a handful of Stafford women had listed professions in the 1900 Census (school teacher, wash woman, cook, and servant). Wives and daughters oversaw domestic duties, such as working the farm, preparing meals, making clothes, and raising children.
Children near Somerset, c. 1900, collection of Jerrilynn MacGregor
Relative to the present, Stafford County’s population in the late 19th century was considerably younger and much less diverse. Only 2 races, white and black, were included in the 1900 Federal Census. The median age of Stafford residents in 1896 was 20, compared to 38 in 2020. The average life expectancy in 1896 was 46.3 years of age, compared to 78.8 today, an increase attributed to improved nutrition, advances in medicine and healthcare, and industrialization. Only 65% of Stafford residents (77% of white residents and 32% of black residents) could read and write by the turn of the century.
Fishing on Chopawamsic Creek, c. 1910, collection of Jerrilynn MacGregor
In the News
Alexandria Gazette, April 9, 1892Primary source for Stafford 1896: “Land of Herrings and Persimmons, People and Places of Upper Stafford County, Virginia, Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor, Heritage Books, 2015
Statistics for “The People” taken from U.S. Census Records, Stafford County, Virginia, 1900
Discussion Topics
In the late nineteenth century, Stafford County jobs were mostly limited to farmers, fishermen, loggers, millers, and merchants. Which of these jobs would you choose and why?
How have these jobs changed over time?
Would you want to do the same type of work that your parents do?