History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania 12). Once in Philadelphia, he used testimonials and public demonstrations to negate the stereotype of anthracite and convince Philadelphia society that the hard coal could be used as a replacement for bituminous coal (Adams, “Warming the Poor,” 81). Cist and other advocates including the Pennsylvania state legislature and government officials continued to promote the anthracite, and the War of 1812 was able to open the way for Pennsylvania anthracite coal to outdo Virginia’s bituminous’ share of the market (Day, 371). With the opening of the major canals Lehigh, Schuylkill, and Delaware & Hudson in addition to smaller ones such as
History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania British navy blockades through during the war, industrialist Josiah White set his mill supervisors the task of experimenting with Anthracite to get to ignite and burn in a useful way. In 1813, the first mining actually in the Lehigh Valley was begun at Beaver Meadows, however, because of the various struggles getting it the to Philadelphia and because it is far more difficult to ignite Anthracite with its sporadic and unreliable supply did not come to be generally used regularly until after the War of 1812 and Hazard and White showed the way. The developments of the canal and then