The importance of coal

The Industrial Revolution would not have happened without coal.

It is sometimes suggested that the key to the increase in coal production was an increase in scale, not a technological revolution. Certainly, the organisation of the industry changed hugely, from small-scale adit or bell pits employing about 20 miners, to deep-shaft mines run by wealthy coal magnates such as Lord Londonderry.

However, the reason that coal mining had been restricted to small surface mining was because working deeper mines had encountered technological difficulties such as flooding, explosions, chokedamp, roof-falls, and lifting and transporting the coal. By the 19th century, these problems had been overcome by technological changes. Inventions led to the larger-scale operations, which resulted in increased production.

Coal and the steam engine

A major key to the increase in production was the use of the steam engine. The steam engine was powered by coal, so as the steam engine improved and was used in more industries, this led to an increased demand for coal.

Coal and the railways

A similar example of industries interacting to cause the Industrial Revolution is between coal and the railways. The first steam trains in the world and the first railway in the world - the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 - were built to transport coal to the docks. However, railways proved so popular and grew so big that they became a major user of coal in the 19th century, and this increased the demand for coal.

Coal production 1700-1900