A PBS-NC episode of Homegrown History focuses on the Deep River area of Chatham County: The Forgotten Coal Mine That Built a Nation

Coalfields along North Carolina’s Deep River helped build the U.S. This prized resource was used by enslaved laborers to forge munitions during the Revolutionary War and later powered the Confederacy and industrialization. But then the state’s worst industrial disaster struck, killing dozens of miners and eventually leading to North Carolina’s first Workers’ Compensation Act.

Even if you know the history of the coalfields, this 13-minute episode shares some things that might be new to you.

You can view it on

YouTube: https://youtu.be/HI6Vn-vT5qw

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