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    Luddites

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    The Luddites were a group of English textile workers in the early 19th century who protested the introduction of new technologies like the mechanized loom that were leaving them unemployed. They engaged in destroying machinery and clashing with the military. The movement emerged amidst difficult economic and working conditions during the Napoleonic Wars. The Luddites opposed technologies like the automated loom that reduced the need for skilled labor. The British government took harsh measures to suppress the Luddite movement, including mass trials that resulted in executions and deportations.

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    Luddites

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    brigitte__32
    112 views1 page
    The Luddites were a group of English textile workers in the early 19th century who protested the introduction of new technologies like the mechanized loom that were leaving them unemployed. They engaged in destroying machinery and clashing with the military. The movement emerged amidst difficult economic and working conditions during the Napoleonic Wars. The Luddites opposed technologies like the automated loom that reduced the need for skilled labor. The British government took harsh measures to suppress the Luddite movement, including mass trials that resulted in executions and deportations.

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    The Luddites were a group of English textile workers in the early 19th century who protested the introduction of new technologies like the mechanized loom that were leaving them unemployed. They engaged in destroying machinery and clashing with the military. The movement emerged amidst difficult economic and working conditions during the Napoleonic Wars. The Luddites opposed technologies like the automated loom that reduced the need for skilled labor. The British government took harsh measures to suppress the Luddite movement, including mass trials that resulted in executions and deportations.

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    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    112 views1 page

    Luddites

    Uploaded by

    brigitte__32
    The Luddites were a group of English textile workers in the early 19th century who protested the introduction of new technologies like the mechanized loom that were leaving them unemployed. They engaged in destroying machinery and clashing with the military. The movement emerged amidst difficult economic and working conditions during the Napoleonic Wars. The Luddites opposed technologies like the automated loom that reduced the need for skilled labor. The British government took harsh measures to suppress the Luddite movement, including mass trials that resulted in executions and deportations.

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    LUDDITES and LUDDISM

    The Luddites were a social movement of British textile artisans in the nineteenth century who protested often by destroying mechanised looms against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life. It took its name from Ned Ludd, a textile worker. The movement emerged in the harsh economic climate of the Napoleonic Wars and difficult working conditions in the new textile factories. The principal objection of the Luddites was to oppose the introduction of new wide-framed automated looms that could be operated by cheap, relatively unskilled labour, resulting in the loss of jobs for many skilled textile workers. The movement began in 1811 and 1812, when mills and pieces of factory machinery were burned by handloom weavers, and for a short time was so strong that Luddites clashed in battles with the British Army. Measures taken by the British government to suppress the movement included a mass trial at York in 1812 that resulted in many executions and penal transportations. The action of destroying new machines had a long tradition before the Luddites, especially within the textile industry. Many inventors of the 18th century were attacked by vested interests who were threatened by new and more efficient ways of making yarn and cloth. Samuel Crompton, for example, had to hide his new spinning mule in the roof of his house to prevent it being destroyed by the mob. In modern usage, "Luddite" is a term describing those opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general. Archibald Prentice was a witness in Manchester (1812): On 27th April a riotous assembly took place at Middleton. The weaving factory of Mr. Burton and Sons had been previously threatened in consequence of their mode of weaving being done by the operation of steam. The factory was protected by soldiers, so strongly as to be impregnable to their assault; they then flew to the house of Mr. Emanuel Burton, where they wreaked their vengeance by setting it on fire. On Friday, the 24th April, a large body of weavers and mechanics began to assemble about midday, with the avowed intention of destroying the power-looms, together with the whole of the premises, at Westhoughton. The military rode at full speed to Westhoughton; and on their arrival were surprised to find that the premises were entirely destroyed, while not an individual could be seen to whom attached any suspicion of having acted a part in this truly dreadful outrage. Extract from the Manchester Gazette, 1812: On Monday afternoon a large body, not less than 2,000, commenced an attack, on the discharge of a pistol, which appeared to have been the signal; vollies of stones were thrown, and the windows smashed to atoms; the internal part of the building being guarded, a musket was discharged in the hope of intimidating and dispersing the assailants. In a very short time the effects were too shockingly seen in the death of three, and it is said, about ten wounded.

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