¿Amas de casa o empresarias? Los negocios de venta en los mercados municipales

The supply trade that was carried out in the municipal markets connected the urban world with the rural one. The work of women, as peasants and as sellers in the market, was vital to its operation. Most of these women do not appear, however, in official sources, as is generally the case with the work of married women, which is the most statistically underestimated, so alternative sources that recognize it should be sought. In this article, the Market of the Independence of Terrassa is studied during the first quarter of the 20th century through the “Auctions and place of sale permits of the Market”. This source, together with the crossing of other primary sources, allows us to know the composition of the homes of the peasant-salesmen, their age, marital status, number of children and the profession of the head of the family. These factors are analysed in relation to the job offer of married women and the role of these small businesswomen in urban markets is reconstructed.