HIST 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Energy Independence
Document Summary
Industrial revolution: was the transition to new manufacturing processes (from the 1760s 1820s to 1840s) from production of hand. Lead to urbanization, increase in standards of living and boosted the economy. Coal: fossilized remains of plants that grew a really long time ago (dead plants + no oxygen + time + pressure) 17th century: there was a shortage of wood that made coal more valuable. Mines: you had to keep the mine dry in order to exert benefits, this posed an issue as most mines are dark and wet. This changed through the invention of the steam engine in 1775 (where coal is used to boil water and create steam through the piston, which then generates a motion in the steam engine > allowing more water to be extracted from the mines) Coal and iron production: to make iron, you needed to use a lot of high heat (which was made by burning charcoal = wood in the past)
