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3490 BCE
First evidence of surface mining
Scientists have evidence of surface mining for fossil fuels in China since 3490 BC -
1403
Fossil fuels popularity grows
fossil fuels were not very popular to most of the world until the early 1400's when the british began to run out of wood to burn they turn to coal to burn which burned longer and coal mines opened all around britain -
1575
first coal underground coal mine made
Sir George Bruce opened the first coal mine to extract coal from a pit under the sea, they made a artificial island and made a 40 foot mining shaft for its use -
Ancient Coalyers and Salters act
Scottish miners bonded by there master in 1606 in a regime that wasn't revoked until 1775 as a form of slavery -
coal mining grows in england
In 1700 the coal output in Britain is 3 million tons -
Coal mining in the united states grows
In 1810 176,000 tons of coal were mined in the United States with almost all of it bituminous coal -
Anthracite coal passes bituminous coal
In 1869 more anthracite coal is mined than bituminous coal -
Period: to
coal mining gets safer
The coal workers union founded in 1890 lowered the fatalities of coal miners -
Coal mining peaks
In 1918 coal mining reached its peak with over 680 million tons of coal mined in the year -
Great depression
In the great depression of the 1930's the demand shortened to 380 million tons -
coal mining today
Coal and other fossil fuels continue to be our main source of energy but cleaner types of energy are starting to gain popularity
