Salvador of merchants: women in market square of Bahia (1872-1889)

Abstract

Throughout practically the entire nineteenth century, formal trade in Salvador and in the main commercial markets in the country was essentially male and mostly composed of Portuguese. Whether they were bosses or workers, men dominated this important economic sector. However, in comparison with other large cities, both numerically and proportionally, the capital of Bahia had a significant presence of women working in commerce. This article aims to examine this female presence in the formal trade of Salvador between 1872 and 1889. In addition, it stresses the importance of sources from the Junta Comercial do Estado da Bahia (JUCEB) for the research and historical analysis of 19th century Bahian society. Despite the male preponderance, the article reveals that, although they rarely act as commercial workers, some Bahians were of fundamental importance as employers and / or providers of capital necessary for the creation of mercantile stores and incipient industries.

Keywords

• women
• trade
• salvador