At the end of the 18th century the copper mining industry of North Wales centred around Parys Mountain declined, and the depression in the British copper market ended. As the price rose, the Cornish mines began to reopen. By this time, the Industrial Revolution had begun, bringing with it new attitudes towards organisation and efficiency. While the mine managers of the 18th century generally treated bal maidens as useful only for breaking and sorting ore, the managers of these new mines sought to use all their employees as efficiently as possible.