Coal became a very important factor in the industrial revolution. Previously there had only been small very shallow coal mines. These were in two types, drift mines and bell pit mines. The other source of fuel they used was charcoal, both coal and charcoal were only really used for fires and small scale jobs. However with the introduction of steam engines the demand for coal skyrocketed. Coal was needed on a much larger scale than it had ever been used before. Because of this coal mines got deeper and bigger. Mining towns, mainly in the North, would have whole communities working down a mine and it created a never before seen economic system. When the men in the town went down the mine, women had to do a variety of jobs. For instance some women