Harry E.

Cross, Living Standards in Rural Nineteenht-Century Mexico: Zacatecas 1820-80,

Journal of latino america studies, 10, I,1-19, printed in great Britain.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/155845?read-now=1&seq=3#metadata_info_tab_contents

This study assesse the living standars in low-income haciendas labores in the State of Zacatecas
during te period 1820-80. The result suggest a reconsideration of the notion that all nineteenth
century Mexican peons were oppresed and malnourished step-children of the latifundio sistem.
He said that the studies only treat one year or a short period of time and do a generalization.

p.1

During the six decades, 1820-80, the hacienda´s worers received monthly wages ranging between
3 and 7 pesos, depending upon occupation; the average income amounted to 4.34 pesos per
month [but] static wages were not accompanied by steady and predictable food prices[…]
According to a payment Schedule characteristic of the Zacatecas región, each laborer received in
addition to his money wage an average of 2-5 almudes, or 18.93 liters of maize per week (hi based
the study in Maguey hacienda).

p.2

(BUSCAR: the meaning economy of Zacatecas de Harry E Cross)

In livestock-rising regions, the workdays were undoubtedly less taxing than on purely grain
haciendas. At Maguey, the majority of laborer were shepherds, whose principal Jobs were to trail
and to keep track of flocks. Though the actual hours spenton the job might be long, much the day
was spent sitting or standing, and perhaps even sleeping. The only periods of laborious activities
occurred during the round-ups for slaughter or shearing (marcha n august)

p.4

The basic foods od the nineteenth-century diet were maize, frijoles, chile peppers, lard , salt and
meat. (he knows that for de examination of the diet of te Zacatecas Municipal prisión in te 40s,
and asume that is was de dietary habits of the lowest social levels of society)

p.8

The Price per fanega of frijoles in the period 1841-50 (a representative decade in term of
agricultural Price movements) averaged just under 3.5 pesos.

p.9
The sheeps in XIX century were smaller than the european or american sheeps, but this animal size
increased in this century for the introduction of foreign animals.

p.9

The expenditure on meat is not easily derived, since peones bought freshly slaughterd whole
sheep (their main source of meat) and dried the meat themselves. For one peso on the average,
the worker acquired one skinned carcass of a sheep of an unknown size […] The peon could
purchase 40 to 50 pounds of mear and bones for a peso. Assuming that at leat half of the carcass
was meat, the Price per pound for fresh meat was between .04 and .05 centavos. The cost of dried
mear would be more, due to shrinkage during the curring process. […] totally in 8 and 10 pesos a
year.

p.9

Mutton was consumed in large quantities at Maguey.

p.9 references.

That portion nos supplied by mize, frijoles, or meat, was easily acquired through the purchase of
chile, wheat flour, rice, sugar, and a host of other ítems continually sold in the tienda tienda de
raya.

p.10

Individual laborers accounts on the Maguey hacienda are replete with purchases of sugar,
piloncillo, rice, dried chile, and other meats. Many peones periodically bought pork and beef in
various forms an nearly all purchased chile with unfailing regularity. Sales of queso añejo and
queso de tuna appear routinely in the accounts, as do salt and lard.

p.10

The autor saids that the tienda de raya in Maguey wasn’t for repress the peones. The incidence od
indebtedness was insignificant, not al the haciendas does the same, nota ll the tiendas used to
charge more for products.

p.16

The hacienda del Maguey may have provided someaducation for the children of employees. At
least from 1825 on, there was always a schoolmaster employed by the hacienda. It might be
postulated that this position was nothing more than a tutorial one, catering to the children of the
administrative tuff. But the State of Zacatecas from late 1820s strongly and actively promoted
public education, and it is, therefore, likely that a part of the maestro’s duties included some
general clases for laborers’ children.

p.16

(i took a picture from de 17 page, a table with prices comparations between Maguey en other
locations)