The Luddites were 19th century textile artisans in England who violently protested against machinery of the Industrial Revolution that made it possible to replace them with lower-paid workers. The Luddite movement began in 1811 in Nottingham and spread rapidly through 1816, with mills and factories being burned by handloom weavers. Although the Luddites were initially strong enough to clash with the British Army, the movement was suppressed after a mass trial in 1813 that resulted in many being executed or relocated, and machine breaking was made a capital crime.

1. Luddites
Alexis Burt and Mary Wakeling

2. Who Were They?
• Textile artisans in the 19th century
• Violently protested against Industrial
Revolution machinery which made it possible
to replace them with low-wage workers

3. “Luddite”?
• Believed to be named
after Ned Ludd, a
somewhat slow youth
who had allegedly
smashed two stocking
frames 30 years earlier
• May or may not be true

4. The Movement
• Mills and factory machinery were burned by
handloom weavers
• For a short period, they were strong enough
to clash with the British Army
• The movement began in Nottingham in 1811
and spread rapidly through 1816

5. What Happened?
• In a mass trial in 1813, many were relocated
or executed
• “Machine breaking” became a capital crime in
1813 (this legislation was opposed by Lord
Byron, a Luddite supporter)

6. Why is this important?
• Legitimate movement that began with
negotiation and bargaining
• Targets were then carefully selected, not
random
• Intentions and ideologies didn’t go away when
the movement did

7. Incorporating with the Period
• Related anti-revolution sentiments to
Romanticism
“So we, boys, we
Will die fighting, or live free,
And down with all kings but King Ludd!”
-Lord Byron

8. Sources
• Byron, Lord. "Song for the Luddites." Web. 18
Sept. 2012.
<http://orion.it.luc.edu/~sjones1/byr1.htm>.
• Fox, Nicols. "Against the Machine: The Hidden
Luddite Tradition in Literature, Art, and
Individual Lives." Google Books. Web. 18
Sept. 2012.