Coal Mining During the Industrial Revolution

Flashcards about coal mining during the Industrial Revolution

Coal

A fossil fuel found underground, formed from dead plants that became peat and then coal over millions of years due to pressure and heat.

Uses of Coal (Victorian Times)

Main source of power for generating steam for factories, cooking and heating homes, transport (e.g., steam trains), and metalworking (heating furnaces).

Coal and the Industrial Revolution

Huge demand for coal led to deep mines being dug. Children and ponies pulled carts of coal.

Mining Towns

Grew in places like Dudley, Ironbridge, Newcastle, Durham, and Scotland as people moved from the countryside for work.

Life and Work in the Mines

Whole families, including pregnant women and children as young as 4, worked in mines facing dangers like explosions, mine collapses, and poisonous gases in cold, damp, dark, and unsafe conditions.

Improvements in Mining

Steam engines (faster coal transport), waterworks (removing water), Davey lamp (safer lighting), and air pumps (better ventilation) improved mining.