Luddites

The Luddites were a group of English textile workers and self-employed weavers in the 19th century who destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest. The group was protesting the use of machinery in a "fraudulent and deceitful manner" to get around standard labor practices. They were fearful that the years they had spent learning the craft would go to waste and unskilled machine operators would rob them of their livelihood. The misconception is that the Luddites protested against the machinery itself in an attempt to halt progress of technology. As a result, the term has come to mean one opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general. The Luddite movement began in Nottingham and culminated in a region-wide rebellion that lasted from 1811 to 1816. Mill owners took to shooting protesters and eventually the movement was brutally suppressed with military force.

Although the origin of the name Luddite (/ˈlʌd.aɪt/) is uncertain, the movement is said to be named after Ned Ludd, a young apprentice who allegedly smashed two in 1779 and whose name had become emblematic of machine destroyers. The name evolved into the imaginary General Ludd or King Ludd, who, like Robin Hood, was reputed to live in Sherwood Forest.

The lower classes of the 18th century, generally speaking, were not openly disloyal to the king or government. Overall, violent action was rare because punishments were harsh. The majority of individuals were primarily concerned with meeting their own daily needs. This movement towards aggression in the 19th century can be seen as part of the rise in English working-class discontent due to the Industrial Revolution. Working conditions in the mills were harsh but efficient enough to threaten the livelihoods of skilled artisans. The new inventions allowed for faster and cheaper labor because machines were operated by less-skilled, low-wage laborers. The Luddites were not afraid of technology and did not attempt to eliminate technology out of fear. Their goal was instead to gain a better bargaining position with their employers. Luddism was in fact a prototypical, insurrectionary labor movement involving a loose coalition of dissenters.

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