What Role Did Coal Play In The Industrial Revolution

not have much real effect at the time, it pointed a way to a brighter

The economy of England during the 18th century was one that needed rebuilding after many years of war with other countries. A breakthrough of new technology and ideas boosted the economy, creating a time known commonly as the Industrial Revolution. Specifically, there was one invention that defined the Industrial Revolution. The steam engine, a device powered by coal used to run machines at an efficient rate, was developed during the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam engine had a major effect on the economy of England during the Industrial Revolution through its use in mining, transportation, and factories.

Coal became the fuel that fired the furnaces of the nation, transforming the Appalachian region socially and economically. Unfortunately mountain people didn't realize the implications of their mineral wealth. Many sold their land and mineral rights for pennies an acre to outlanders. Appalachians became laborers rather than entrepreneurs. Coal became a major industry which was extremely sensitive to outside fluctuations in the economy, leading to boom and bust cycles. The industry was controlled by interests outside the region, so that little of the profit remained or was reinvested.

1861 to 1865 he led the United States during the Civil War. He ended slavery and helped keep the union from falling apart during the war. In 1860 he received 40% of the presidential vote, but by 1865 he became popular (Holzer, Harold.). Even though his feeling towards slavery did not change Lincoln's decision to fight. He believed it was his job as president to maintain the Union.(Abraham Lincoln). Abraham Lincoln’s strategy was to advance at the Confederates at the same time. His goal for the Union armies was to destroy opposing forces. Changing generals many times he found a general that would fight aggressively, Ulysses S. Grant. (Holzer, Harold.) McDowell, Fremont, McClellan, Pope, Buell, Burnside, and Rosecrans looked harmful to Abraham Lincoln when they failed to bring success to the Union (Abraham Lincoln). He often visited his fighting grounds to see if his strategy was being used. He was dissatisfied until he found Ulysses S. Grant. During the war, Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, for the freedom of all slaves. In 1863 the Gettysburg Address was delivered to the United States, letting the federal army fight to keep the Union (ebscohost). The Emancipation Proclamation seized property of those fighting against the Union (Abraham Lincoln). Their victory was achieved April 9, 1869, but less than a week later Abraham Lincoln was assassinated (ebscohost). Abraham Lincoln was a great president, and ended the

One important event during this time would be the development of the railroad. Railroads were very important to the increase in trade throughout the United States. By the start of the Civil War ,the railroads began to link the most important Mid West cities with the Atlantic coast. Railroads further opened the west and connected raw materials to factories and markets. A transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory, Utah (Kelly, n.d).

“Lincoln vehemently opposed the expansion of slavery into new western territories and served as one of the most influential advocates of ‘free soil’” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Although Lincoln stayed neutral on the topic of the abolitionist movement during his campaign, he was against the expansion of slavery. Because of this, the South saw him as a threat and seven southern states seceded from the Union.

The 1860 presidential election of Abraham Lincoln greatly contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, served as the sixteenth president of the United States. He was the very first Republican to serve as president, eventually leading the Union to victory during the civil war. Lincoln opposed the idea of the expansion of slavery but acknowledged that he would not interfere with slavery where it existed. Despite this, Southern fears that slavery would soon be abolished by Republicans became a reality after Abraham Lincoln was elected president on November 6th, 1860. The election influenced the

Amid the carnage the Civil War, the United States took a leap of faith concerning its future. That leap was the “Pacific Railroad Act signed by Pres. Lincoln on July 2,

In the year of 1864, President Lincoln was re-elected but had some struggles along the way. The Civil War dramatically affected the Union as it was split among the decision of slavery. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation (1862), which transformed the wars purpose from the preservation of our nation into a battle for the abolition of slavery. Many Northerners did not like the idea of banishing slavery because the initial concept of the war was whether or not the president would be able to defeat the Confederacy of the South. The Northerners did not care about defending human rights. Lincoln’s progress with the war in his previous term helped him gain back power as president.

During the Civil War, the North acquired 20,000 miles of railway track that was used to ship supplies and transport troops easier and quicker. The Union leader, Abraham Lincoln, put the railroad under government control, in order to use it for war tactics. The government was able to pay for the railroads by providing federal land to the companies who built

Lincoln used the “War for the Union” (Bradford 365) to conceal his changes in federal government and economy by shifting the “posture of the federal government towards the sponsorship of business” (Bradford 365) through 28.72 percent increase in tariffs between 1861 and 1865 which encouraged a “massive transfer of wealth” (Bradford 366) and a change to the Republican system of banking. Lincoln also directly contributed the corruption, greed, and peculation of the Gilded Age by “favoring land speculation”, being “a friend of the big corporations” (Bradford 366), including the Union Pacific Railroad, and mistreating immigrants. Lincoln’s presidential misconduct during the Civil War also marks him as America’s first “imperial president” as he “summoned militia, spent millions, suspended law...defied the Supreme Court” (Bradford 367), and even arrested Anti-Republican candidates and voters to ensure that he remained in

The American colonies were a bit behind Britain, mainly because the abundance of land and lack

The event that started the chain reaction of the American Civil War was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This bill was created and implemented by Stephen Douglas, a Democratic Senator out of Illinois, shortly after he steps in after Henry Clay. With the intention of becoming president, Stephen Douglass wanted to organize territory from the Louisiana Purchase, with also building a railroad that would stretch across the Midwest, however, an important question

In 1742, John Salley took a trip through the Allegheny Mountains. He and his traveling companions came upon the land full of coal, a land they would later call the Coal River. This is the first recorded reference to coal in what is now known as West Virginia, and the astounding amount of coal in this new land. There are many ways to get to the natural resource that runs our world, but most commonly used is mountaintop removal. (Bailey, 2013)

They developed all kinds of new tools using machines. Eventually Coal became the fuel of choice instead of wood, and machines were powered by the coal. Many very important technological advancements occurred during the this period Among those were the use of steam power, the making of machine tools, and the discovery on new chemicals and the development of cement.