Working Lives in the Coal Mines: Mining History and Heritage

Syllabus

• Week 1

  The collier

  • Welcome to the course

    We're thrilled you've joined us on this course. Here you'll learn a bit more about your educators and the course overall.

  • The industry and the workers

    This introduction to the industry and the workers provides crucial context for the workers' lives we'll explore in the weeks to come.

  • What did coal miners do?

    Here you'll learn a bit more about the varied jobs that coal miners did and their importance to mining industry.

  • Describing and representing mining work

    What did people think of miners in the nineteenth and early twentieth century? How did miners describe themselves? Here we find out more.

  • Dangers and diseases

    The mines were a dangerous place to work. Here we'll find out more about the hazards and illnesses associated with mining and their impact on mining communities.

  • Forces for change

    This activity explores state intervention and mechanization in the mining industry and the effects these changes had on workers. Trade unions as a force for change is covered in week 4.

• Week 2

  The child miner

  • Welcome to week two

    An introduction to the week.

  • What kinds of work did children do?

    Here we discuss the kinds of work that children might do, and briefly consider the changes in legislation throughout the long nineteenth century.

  • Representing and remembering the child miner

    In this section we look at various representations of the child miner in literature and song, thinking about how we remember the child miner.

  • The child miner in the museum

    In this section we look at how the child miner is represented in museums, asking how best to locate the child miner.

• Week 3

  The surface worker

  • Welcome to week three

    An introduction to week three

  • What did surface workers do?

    Here we explore the labour of surface workers, in their own words, and in newspaper reports and fiction by outside observers who were especially fascinated by the 'pithead lasses.'

  • Dangers and health

    In this section we'll look at what happened to miners when they were injured or disabled and the health hazards of surface work through a range of sources.

  • Work in the mining communities

    In this section we'll look what life was like in the broader mining communities, including the work done by women and girls.

• Week 4

  The trade unionist

  • Welcome to week four

    Here we'll introduce the final figure we'll be exploring in the course: the trades unionist.

  • Conflict and strife

    In this activity we'll look at the relationships between the workers and the bosses, focusing on the trade union struggle for workers' rights.

  • Mining unions and health and safety

    In this section we'll look at the role played by mining trade unions in relation to the health and safety of workers in the mines.

  • Descriptions and representations of mining trade unionists

    Here we'll learn about how mining trade unionists were represented and depicted in oral history testimonies, their autobiographies, songs and images.

  • Modern day trade unionism

    In this section we'll hear from a current miners' trade union leader and think about how things have changed.

  • Reflections on the course

    As we approach the end of the course, we'll look back at what we've learned about mining history and heritage and discuss ways to find out more.

Who will you learn with?