During the nineteenth century the American economy was able to expand rapidly due to the availability of cheap and plentiful supplies of coal. This primary resource collection covers all aspects of this important energy source through a selection of letters, pamphlets, industry reports and newspaper articles. This first volume, covering the period 1790-1835, seeks to reconcile the optimism surrounding the early American coal industry with the difficulties in actually realising its growth. It presents voices that capture the optimism and frustration of the Rhode Island and Virginia colliers, before focusing on the rise of Pennsylvania's anthracite region.

The emergence of coal-based fuel economy over the course of the nineteenth century was one of the most significant features of America’s Industrial Revolution, but the transition from wood to mineral energy sources was a gradual one that transpired over a number of decades. The documents in these volumes recreate the institutional history of the American coal industry in the nineteenth century - providing a first-hand perspective on the developments in regard to political economy, business structure and competition, the rise of formal trade unions, and the creation of a national coal trade. Although the collection strives to be wide-ranging in region and theme, the Pennsylvania anthracite coal trade forms the thematic backbone as it became the most important American mineral resource to see successful development throughout the nineteenth century. Consequently it saw unprecedented levels of intervention by the federal government. The texts for this collection were selected for their accessibility to modern readers as well as their relationship to a series of common themes across the nineteenth century American coal industry - with headnotes and annotations provided to explain their context and the reasons for their inclusion. The second volume, following on from the first, traces the continuation of the anthracite boom and also introduces new concerns for the coal industry. Overall the period from 1835-1875 saw the American coal trade expand from a hit-or-miss business dominated by risk-taking proprietary firms to a well-funded industry that employed the resources of state governments, large mining corporations and powerful railroads in order to keep a steady stream of mineral fuel flowing to the growing industrial and commercial heating markets of the United States. The transformation generated many conflicts - which are illustrated by the documents in this volume.

The emergence of coal-based fuel economy over the course of the nineteenth century was one of the most significant contributions the America’s Industrial Revolution, but the transition from wood to mineral energy sources was a gradual one that transpired over a number of decades. The documents in these volumes recreate the institutional history of the American coal industry in the nineteenth century; in doing so they provide a first-hand perspective on the developments in regard to political economy, business structure and competition, the rise of formal trade unions, and the creation of a national coal trade. Although the collection strives to be wide-ranging in region and theme, the Pennsylvania anthracite coal trade forms the thematic backbone as it became the most important American mineral resource to see successful development throughout the nineteenth century and consequently saw unprecedented levels of intervention by the federal government. The texts for this collection were selected for their accessibility to modern readers as well as their relationship to a series of common themes across the nineteenth century American coal industry — with headnotes and annotations provided to explain their context and the reasons for their inclusion.The third volume in this set traces the three decades following the American Civil War, during which time the use of coal for manufacturing, locomotives and domestic heating helped build a dynamic industrial economy in the United States. Mineral fuel growth powered the growth of the nation and by 1885 coal became the single most important source of American energy. Coal mining spread to nearly every corner of the nation in the half-century following the civil war. By the time of the Great Anthracite Strike in 1902, the American coal industry was a truly national phenomenon. The rise of large and well-funded mining and railroad corporations, the national unions, and the inroads by state governments into mine safety

During the nineteenth century the American economy was able to expand rapidly due to the availability of cheap and plentiful supplies of coal. This primary resource collection covers all aspects of this important energy source through a selection of letters, pamphlets, industry reports and newspaper articles. The third volume in this set traces the three decades following the American Civil War. By the time of the Great Anthracite Strike in 1902, the coal industry was a national phenomenon. The rise of large, well-funded mining and railroad corporations, the national unions, and the inroads by state governments into mine safety all demonstrate that a significant reshaping had occurred.

During the nineteenth century the American economy was able to expand rapidly due to the availability of cheap and plentiful supplies of coal. This primary resource collection covers all aspects of this important energy source through a selection of letters, pamphlets, industry reports and newspaper articles.