| This study examines the rise and fall of the bituminous coal and coke industry of Pennsylvania, from its origins in the mid-eighteenth century to its decline and collapse in the decades following World War II. The dissertation integrates in a single study the origins of this important industry, its changing technology, labor, and capital over two centuries.;The study divides the origins, expansion and subsequent decline of the industry into four somewhat overlapping periods. The dating of these periods is imprecise because the principal historical changes that characterize each period are gradual and incremental and often do not conform to any arbitrary historical model.;Each chronological period is based upon a series of recurring themes: geology and geography, markets, technology, industrial organization, labor, and the daily life in the coal-owned towns. Each of these themes is examined over time.;The rise and fall of Pennsylvania's coal and coke industry was more complex than standard literature would suggest. No two counties, no two mines, no two mining towns were exactly alike: each had subtle, sometimes profound, differences. For this reason, the state's premiere industry can best be understood by a comprehensive, holistic approach.;The topic merits extensive analysis because of the centrality of this extractive industry to the economy and society of both Pennsylvania and the nation. For nearly two centuries Pennsylvania was the leading coal and coke producing state in the United States. Coal was Pennsylvania's greatest mineral resource and these deposits made it the pioneer state in the establishment of the coal, coke, and steel industries of the United States. |
