The Development Of British Coal Industry And Its Relationship With The Industrial Revolution

Britain's coal industry is the traditional industrial sectors,although today,the British coal mining is reduced to the extent of the very weak,its proportion in national economy also has insignificant,but no one would deny that the coal industry brilliant position in Britain's economic history.If the British in the 19th century is an era of coal,steel and the cotton industry,coal is the basis of the completion of the British economy Great-leap-forward development.This article mainly inspects the British coal industry from small to large,from weak to strong,a dynamic development process from 16th century to the early 19th century,and the relationship between the British industrial revolution and the coal industry in the process of the development.Besides the introduction and conclusion,the full text contains three chapters.The first chapter expounds the preliminary development of coal industry before 1700.This period can be divided into two stages,respectively is 1500 years ago,and 1500-1700.In the previous phase,the British rarely use coal as fuel,although in this period the British left some records and relics of coal useing,but this time the use of coal is only a handful of accidental phenomenon.So at this time the coal market are limited in the vicinity of the individual mining point.In the second stage(1500-1700)British coal production appeared revolutionary growth,and the growth rates in this period was more rapidly than growth after 1700.But on the whole,before 1700,the coal industry is still in its infancy.Fewer British coal-producing areas in this period,and give priority to with coal in the northeast area,its production accounts for almost half of the British total.In terms of coal market,London coal market almost monopolized the British coal trade during this period,"Newcastle-London "business model is one of the highlights of this period in the British coastal trade.In addition,during this period the British coal industry is also on the brink of the economic structure,is almost in a self developed independent closed areas,whether in the capital,or in terms of technology innovation,are limited in the coal industry itself,so the period of the coal industry of the direct impact of the overall economy is limited.But the development of coal industry for the coming of the Industrial Revolution made technical preparation,including the invention of the steam engine;all are in the coal industry.So Nef called this period as "early Industrial Revolution".The second chapter expounds the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century British coal industry development.In the 17th century the emergence of energy crisis has prompted Britain's energy consumption structure from the organic matter energy to fossil energy,coal in this period gradually replace wood and charcoal as Britain's main energy.The qualitative change of energy consumption structure also stimulated the development of the coal industry.Coal-rich regions in the northeast of traditional superiority status began to shake,and eventually replaced by the Midwest coal area,the top ten coal-rich regions coexist in the British coal production pattern.Along with the development of the Midwest industrial production in the 18th century England,coal consumption gradually by mainly household consumption to industry as the leading factor,relies on household consumption of coal consumption patterns,thanks to the iron smelting,the steam engine change technical breakthrough.The change of consumption pattern also hit London coal market monopoly,the industrial Midwest demand as the main body of the coal consumption market began to rise.Because the British coal industry development during this period the demand for capital beyond the capability of the coal industry itself,so coal capital sources also gradually began to face the whole British society,it is not only beneficial to the development of coal industry,but also promote the flow of the British financial capital,making coal economic benefit can flow into other areas of the economy,to break the edge of the embarrassing situation that the coal industry in Britain economic structure before 1700.The third chapter expounds the relationship between the coal industry and the industrial revolution.Coal industry played an important role in the Britain's industrial revolution,fossil fuels as the main British in the 18th century.It has established a well-developed coal industry.In early 18th century,British coal technology,especially the coal mine safety technology breakthroughs,led to the invention of the steam engine,the invention of the substantial coal mining area in the UK in the future created a new era of industrial civilization.And the British coal industry also provided adequate and affordable energy supply for the late arrival of the Industrial Revolution.And Britain's rich coal industry for the late arrival of the industrial revolution provides plentiful and cheap energy supply.Industrial Revolution demand for coal in turn stimulates the development of the coal industry and changed the pattern of the British coal and coal distribution market structure.National coal market began to show.Due to the nature of the coal resources,so that the transportation cost accounts for a high proportion in the composition of coal,the resulting "double-track coal Price" makes Britain had to improve the transportation conditions,consumption of the center in order to reduce prices.It is for this reason,the canal construction appeared in Britain in the middle of the 18th century,the developed network of canals not only promoting the growth of the coal industry,but also changed the pattern of the British economy.In addition,the British "high wages,low prices" economic model also played an important role in the process of the industrial revolution,high labor costs seeked British to take advantage of the cheap coal to reduce the production cost.Low coal prices prompted the British engineers constantly improved steam engine,the application of steam power from mining sector spread to other areas of industrial production,machine production eventually replaced the manual workshop in the UK.Cheap and plentiful coal is the strong backing to support the development of modern British economy,help Britain smooth out of the energy crisis and to the industrial age.Coal industry is also enjoying the results brought by the industrial revolution,make itslef mature and grow continuously.The coal industry and the industrial revolution promote each other in the 18th and 19th century,to jointly promote the spanning development of the economy.