A superb reference for writers, researchers, students and teachers, this dictionary-style book illuminates everyday life in the 1800s, decade by decade. Readers will find hundreds of otherwise obscure facts about: - Popular slang--from the range to the underworld - How to furnish a farmhouse or outfit a barn - How much it cost for a shot of whiskey or to mail a letter - Styles of the fashionable--and not so fashionable - Courtship and marriage rituals - Popular food and drink--including brand names - and much, much more! The Everyday Life series helps writers, students and researchers save valuable time and bring richness and historical accuracy to their work. Each guide describes the food, clothes, customs, slang, occupations, religions, politics and other historical details that are so often difficult to find.