Why is the midlands known as the black country? No racist answers please thankyou?

Answer 1

The West Midlands region of England, centred on Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire are known as the 'black country'. It gained its name in the mid nineteenth century due to the smoke from the many thousands of ironworking foundries and forges and the nature of the countryside which had been covered by dark spoil from the working of shallow and relatively thick (30ft) coal seams.

Answer 2

It is because during the industrial age their wasn't any worries about polluting the atmosphere with thick black smoke from the open chimneys, this led to a thick black cloud hanging over some of the midlands towns, this led to the towns such as Dudley and Tipton being nick-named the black country. My mother comes from there this is how I know.

Answer 3

"Black Country" refers to an area of manufacturing and was so named from the numerous furnaces and forges which in the early 19th century (long before black people ever emigrated into this part of the UK) made the sky black by day and red by night. It comprises the four borou ghs of Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell.

Answer 4

Hi,thats not entirely correct! It's more specifically the west midlands area.I dont actually know the answer it may be due to mining,not sure.

Answer 5

the colour of the buildings, after the industrial revolution factories spang up everywhere in the black country and ther soot from the fossil fuels made the buildings black

Answer 6

Wasn't it down to the coalsites of SW Staffordshire (around Wolverhampton - which was part of said county until 1974)?

Answer 7

because the midlands was where most of the coal came from and coal is black so its the black country

Answer 8

coal use from the 1600s to the 1900s.

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Country