<P> The Industrial Revolution , which began in Britain in the 18th century , and later spread to continental Europe , North America , and Japan , was based on the availability of coal to power steam engines . International trade expanded exponentially when coal - fed steam engines were built for the railways and steamships during the Victorian era . Coal was cheaper and much more efficient than wood fuel in most steam engines . As central and Northern England contains an abundance of coal , many mines were situated in these areas as well as the South Wales coalfield and Scotland . The small - scale techniques were unsuited to the increasing demand , with extraction moving away from surface extraction to deep shaft mining as the Industrial Revolution progressed . </P>
<P> The Industrial Revolution , which began in Britain in the 18th century , and later spread to continental Europe , North America , and Japan , was based on the availability of coal to power steam engines . International trade expanded exponentially when coal - fed steam engines were built for the railways and steamships during the Victorian era . Coal was cheaper and much more efficient than wood fuel in most steam engines . As central and Northern England contains an abundance of coal , many mines were situated in these areas as well as the South Wales coalfield and Scotland . The small - scale techniques were unsuited to the increasing demand , with extraction moving away from surface extraction to deep shaft mining as the Industrial Revolution progressed . </P>
why coal came to be the dominant fuel source during the industrial revolution
why coal came to be the dominant fuel source during the industrial revolution
to power steam engines
to power steam engines