Source 1: Abraham Darby’s Career https://www.britannica.

com/biography/Abraham-Darby

● Born 1678, died 1717

● He was a British ironmaster
● He was the first to successfully smelt iron ore with coke
● In 1708 he founded the Bristol Iron Company
● In 1709 he successfully produced commercial iron in a blast furnace
● The quality of his iron allowed him to produce a product that could compete with brass
● In 1712 Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine was introduced
● The steam engine created an important new market for iron
● In 1779, his grandson finished work on one of the first cast-iron bridges in the world

In summary, Abraham Darby was a British ironmaster, and the first to smelt iron ore with coke.
He founded a company and successfully produced marketable iron which could compete with
other metals that were more prevalent at the time. The invention of the steam engine created an
important market for iron.

This source demonstrates the fact that Abraham Darby was very successful, and made some
important inventions over the course of his career. He made an invention that allowed him to
produce a very impactful product, which drove the progression of the industrial revolution.

Source 2: Darby’s Impact

https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/industrial-revolution-characters/#:~:text=Abraham%20Da
rby%20I%20is%20famous,Revolution%20that%20was%20to%20follow.

● Famous for pioneering the use of smelting iron with coke rather than charcoal
● This was a much more economical and convenient option, which is why it was
successful
● Major step forward in the Industrial Revolution
● His invention completely changed the course of the iron industry
● At age 21 Darby began working at the brass industry
● He saw the need for a cheaper material and began using sand molds with iron
● He set up his business in 1703
● He began to use coke as a fuel to smelt iron instead of charcoal
● Paved the way for mass production of iron products to become a reality

In summary, Abraham Darby was famous for inventing iron smelting using coke, which replaced
charcoal. This was a much more economical option, and a major step forward in the industrial
revolution and iron industry. He got the idea when he began working in the brass industry, and
saw the need for a cheaper material for iron smelting. This led him to start his own business and
start using coke.
Abraham Darby made a major impact on the iron industry, and his invention played a major role
in the progression of the industrial revolution. He discovered a much cheaper, more convenient
option for iron smelting, which was a massive success and a major driver of the industrial
revolution. His invention was also much more sustainable, as it is more environmentally friendly
than using charcoal, and used less resources. Without his invention, the iron products that are
so commonly used today would not be an option.

Source 3: Abraham Darby and the Coalbrookdale

● Britain's iron industry was struggling to survive in the early 18th century
● It was so bad that Britain was forced to import iron from other countries
● It was much too expensive to use charcoal for smelting
● Abraham Darby started working in the brass industry at 21 years old
● Abraham Darby started producing cast iron at his furnace in coalbrookdale in 1709
● He began using coke instead of charcoal
● His son improved the process by making cast iron which could be made into wrought
iron
● The invention of the steam engine made an impact on the iron industry
● Iron making no longer required water

In summary, Britain’s iron industry was struggling immensely, and the current method of iron
extraction at the time was not environmentally or economically friendly. When working in their
brass industry, he invented the use of coke to smelt iron as opposed to charcoal. This improved
Britain's economy in terms of iron immensely. His son followed in his father’s footsteps by
making the process even better.