Darby Smelts Iron with Coke

What happened

At Coalbrookdale in Shropshire in 1709, the ironmaster Abraham Darby became the first to smelt iron successfully using coke — coal baked to drive off its impurities — in place of increasingly scarce charcoal. Coke burned hotter and could support much larger furnaces, making good cast iron cheap and plentiful.

Why it matters

Abundant, affordable iron gave Britain the raw material for the machines, engines, bridges, and rails of the coming industrial age.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. British Industrial Revolution · Reputable source