History of Coal 3: How Coal Stayed Cheap




Making of a Historian show

Summary: For show notes and book lists, find the episode here: https://www.historian.live/home/2017/8/11/history-of-coal-3 This episode looks at coal in 18th century Britain. First, I give a rough overview of what 18th century Britain was LIKE, Men wore wigs and sometimes swords. There were queens and three kings, all named George. It was a time of change, and even maybe Enlightenment. Then I look at how coal remained cheap over the century, despite the fact that demand skyrocketed. It's a story of canals, wagonways, pumps, and the backbreaking work of miners.