11.1.6

Coal

Test yourself

Coal

All the new factories in England required a lot of coal to power them and so more coal had to be mined. Mining was very dangerous and miners worked in terrible conditions.

Illustrative background for Steam powerIllustrative background for Steam power ?? "content

Steam power

  • Coal had been mined in Britain long before the Industrial Revolution.
  • However, since steam power was so crucial to powering the machines that were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, Britain needed much larger quantities of coal to burn.
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Demand for coal

  • 2.7 million tons of coal were mined in Britain in 1700, but this had jumped to 15 million tons by 1800.
  • The main producers of coal in Britain were the northeast of England, the West Midlands, and central Scotland.
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The dangers of mining

  • Coal was crucial to the development of the Industrial Revolution, but coal mining was incredibly dangerous.
  • Coal had to be dug from up to 100m underground, and could only be reached by narrow shafts through the coal mines.
  • Miners risked suffocation, drowning, and being crushed by collapsing mineshafts.
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Children in the mines

  • Around 20,000 children worked in coal mines by the 1840s, often having to drag heavy cartloads of coal on their hands and knees.
  • It wasn’t until 1842 that the government took measures to improve the lives of children working in the mine.
  • The Mines Act prohibited the employing of girls, and boys under ten.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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