History of coal mining in the United States

Employment The history of coal mining in the United States starts with the first commercial use in 1701, within the Manakin-Sabot area of Richmond, Virginia.

Coke stayed hard and porous and was able to support the heavy column of ore and fuel in the large blast furnaces it enabled.

[4] Anthracite (or "hard" coal) exploitation began before the War of 1812 spurred by the interest and opportunism of the Wurt brothers of Philadelphia.

Anthracite from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Coal Region and later from West Virginia was valued for household use because it burns cleanly with little ash.

By 1840, annual hard coal output had passed the million-short ton mark, and then quadrupled by 1850, and as it grew it pushed railroad construction, mining and steel production in a synergistic symbiosis.

After 1850, soft coal, which is cheaper but dirtier, came into demand for railway locomotives and stationary steam engines, and was used to make coke for steel after 1870.

Pennsylvania exempted anthracite coal from taxes, promoted its use in the iron industry, and encouraged competition between different transport companies to keep prices low.

[8] In the late 19th century, railroad companies became increasingly powerful and played a significant role in the energy policy, particularly in the anthracite coal industry.

The railroads purchased coal lands and set prices to maintain their power, while attempts by state and federal authorities to regulate the industry were largely ineffective.

[9] By the late 19th century, the relationship between labor and capital in energy production, particularly in coal mining, became a concern for policy makers.

Prior to the Civil War, coal mining was done on a small scale and skilled miners acted as independent contractors.

[10][11] During the early twentieth century, federal authorities became involved in regulating the coal trade due to labor disputes and attempts by railroad operators to manipulate prices.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against anthracite railroads in 1908, and the United States Bureau of Mines was created in 1910 to enforce safety regulations.

Detailed analysis of historical data by Price Fishback shows that mining wages were as high, if not higher, than those in manufacturing industry; that the prices in company stores were rarely higher than those in independent stores; and that miners who were dissatisfied with working conditions in a particular mining camp could either "vote with their feet" by migrating elsewhere or use the "voice" of collective union action to resist the threatened abuse.

The presidency of Barack Obama introduced rules from the Environmental Protection Agency that limit power plant carbon emissions which will accelerate a shift from coal to natural gas and other alternatives.

[24] In the 1880s, thousands of European immigrants and a large number of African Americans migrated to southern West Virginia to work in coal mines.

[26] Rakes (2008) examines coal mine fatalities in the state in the first half of the 20th century before safety regulations were strictly enforced in the 1960s.

The demand for coal increased as industrialization spread throughout the United States, and many large companies began to invest in mining operations in the region.

Throughout the 20th century, coal mining remained a major industry in eastern Kentucky, providing jobs and economic growth to the region.

Strip mining and mountaintop removal techniques led to widespread deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats, while pollution from coal-fired power plants contributed to high rates of respiratory illness.

As a result, many mining communities in the region have struggled economically, and efforts are underway to diversify the local economy and support alternative industries.

[29] Diana Baldwin and Anita Cherry, hired as miners in 1973, were the first women to work in an underground coal mine in the United States.

However, coal production has been on an overall decline since the late 2000s due to factors such as retirement of coal-fired power plants, low natural gas prices and increasing competition from renewables.

Some notable labor strikes and events include: Under John L. Lewis, the United Mine Workers became the dominant force in the coal fields in the 1930s and 1940s, producing high wages and benefits.

[44] Coal is used primarily to generate electricity, but the rapid drop in natural gas prices after 2010 created severe competition.