Adelaide held her parasol above her, but it gave little relief from the scorching sun. She stepped carefully down the gangway in her leather boots as, all around her, shirtless men loaded barrels of molasses onto the ship. Despite the heat, it was shocking to see that even the women here went out in public with bare shoulders and bare legs. She was glad to see that a carriage was already waiting for her. Which statement describes the most likely historical and cultural context of the passage?