The Importance of Coal in Appalachia

Mining coal has been an ongoing process in the United States for nearly three hundred years.  From its humble beginnings in the late 1700s in Northeast Pennsylvania to its eventual rise in becoming America's favorite choice in home heating, coal has been an integral part of our lives.  Many would say that it was the mining industry that really powered the Industrial Revolution.  Coal fueled steamships as well as locomotives, and warmed millions of homes.  There were two types of coal mined in the United States - Anthracite and Bituminous. 

Being as valuable as it was, coal was mined in massive amounts.  These quantities coming out of the Northeast caused a sensation both socially and economically.  Mine production became such a thriving business that eventually over ten million tons of coal were produced over just two centuries time, which was quite an achievement.  In addition to its practicality as a heating source, the demand for coal provided employment in large numbers.

All the coal mining translated to gigantic numbers in terms of income for Pennsylvania.  Coal became something that was used in nearly every household at one time, and because Pennsylvania was pulling such large quantities it became a popular export to many other countries as well.  It lifted up the economy when it was very vulnerable and assured many Americans job security.

The life as a coal miner was anything but glamorous.  Since mining began in the U.S., there have been thousands of accidents, explosions, mine cave-ins, and a staggering death toll.  These men walked into the darkness each day below the earth never knowing if they would come back to the surface alive, a brutal truth in underground mining.

Because of the mining industry, we have seen many changes in the rules and laws of labor.  For a long time it was acceptable for pre-teenaged children ("Breaker Boys") to work very long hours in the mines.  By today's standards this would never be allowed.  Thankfully, it was soon changed to protect these youngsters from being taken advantage of when a child labor law was passed in West Virginia in February of 1907.  This law stated no boy under fourteen years of age, nor girls of any age, shall be permitted to work in a coal mine at any time – a similar law had been on the books in Pennsylvania, but the state did not require proof-of-age until 1905.  The adult miners had to fight for their rights as well, and many mine strikes occurred as a result of extremely long hours in the dangerous underworld.  One of the more notable of the mine strikes occurred in 1902.  The president of the United Mine Workers of America, John Mitchell, fought for the miners relentlessly to get them an eight-hour workday.  For his efforts he drew enormous respect from miners everywhere.  He was dubbed a “Champion of Labor and Defender of Human Rights” by the miners.

With the industry in such jeopardy, the strikes were resolved and they eventually led to the betterment of the workers.  Technology and science had improved the dangerous occupation by instituting geological safety measures.  Medical facilities sprung up as well as the insurance being offered to the miners.  Eventually this monster of an industry began to decline in popularity in the mid 1900s as alternative fuels were introduced and safer methods were developed.  One thing for sure is that the industry and the men who propelled it will never be forgotten, for their legacy is all around us.  We see towns that were built by the wealth of coal mines, and through its long history many new developments have been introduced.  Because of coal mining, the railroad industry was introduced so the coal had a way to be transported long distances away.  In fact, the first locomotive ever to run in America was called "The Stourbridge Lion," which made its maiden voyage on August 8, 1829 from Honesdale, PA.

In closing, the anthracite business still exists.  It may not be as booming as it was a hundred years ago, but it is still alive.  Children have the opportunity to learn about the work their ancestors did through history classes in school, and as long as the stories are told, the memories of the thousands of men who gave their lives in the mines will never be forgotten.