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Why did the Luddite movement get started?
Textile workers destroyed industrial equipment during the late 18th century, prompting acts such as the Protection of Stocking Frames, etc. Act 1788. The Luddite movement emerged during the harsh economic climate of the Napoleonic Wars, which saw a rise of difficult working conditions in the new textile factories.
Who started the Luddite movement?
Ned Ludd
They called themselves “Luddites” after Ned Ludd, a young apprentice who was rumored to have wrecked a textile apparatus in 1779. There’s no evidence Ludd actually existed—like Robin Hood, he was said to reside in Sherwood Forest—but he eventually became the mythical leader of the movement.
Why did the Luddite movement start and end?
The Luddite movement therefore emerged when attempts at negotiation failed and their valid concerns were not listened to, let alone addressed. The Luddites activity emerged against a backdrop of economic struggle from the Napoleonic Wars which impacted negatively on the working conditions already experienced in the new factories.
How did the Industrial Revolution affect the Luddites?
The Industrial Revolution brought with it technology that disrupted the work and lives of the weavers and other textile workers. The machines introduced, would produce goods about a hundred times faster than what could be produced by hands. As a result, the Luddites emerged as a violent force against the mechanisation of the textile factories.
What was the economic climate during the Luddite movement?
The Luddite movement emerged during the harsh economic climate of the Napoleonic Wars, which saw a rise of difficult working conditions in the new textile factories.
Why did the Luddites object to automated technology?
Luddites objected primarily to the rising popularity of automated textile equipment, threatening the jobs and livelihoods of skilled workers as this technology allowed them to be replaced by cheaper and less skilled workers.