Luddism Flashcards
What did the years after 1811 become a period of?
Socio-economic distress
List the factors that contributed to the socio-economic problems that developed after 1811
- Effects of continual change in agriculture and industry
- High prices and increased taxation brought about by the Napoleonic Wars
- Lack of efficient poor relief to deal with the hardships faced by a growing labouring population
What was the consequence of the socio economic problems that emerged after 1811?
With low wages and high unemployment, the distress of the labouring classes manifested itself in outbreaks of violence. Under pressure, the government adopted the repressive model of the 1793 Pitt government
Where did outbreakings of machine breakings first occur?
In 1811 Nottinghamshire
What was the motivation behind luddism in general?
It was carried out by groups of men who believed that the increased use of machinery in textile factories was depriving them of their livelihood
Describe the motivation behind early Luddism specifically
- Stocking frame knitters were angered by the use of a wide frame machine, which produced poorer quality stockings faster and more cheaply than the traditional narrow frame used by skilled knitters
- Accusing the factory owners of underhanded tactics that undermined their skill and put them out of work, they turned to rioting and machine breaking
When did Luddites operate?
At night
Who were the Luddites led by?
A mysterious figure called Ned Ludd who was rumoured to have headquarters in Sherwood Forest. He was most likely a mythical figure
Where did machine breaking spread to after Nottinghamshire?
Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire
How does Briggs describe the seriousness of the Luddites?
They had quasi-military discipline, observed oath taking and used numbers instead of names
What did croppers in the woolen industry protest against?
The introduction of the shearing frame, which threatened to make there skill obsolete
How did Luddism spread to the Lancashire cotton mills?
Power looms were destroyed by hand loom weavers over concerns about future need for their expertise
Why was the government also to blame for luddism alongside employers?
The Yorkshire croppers initially petitioned to parliament for help in safeguarding their livelihoods. It was only when this failed in 1812 that they turned to Luddism
How did the Luddite movement become more intense in April 1812?
Prominent woollen manufacturor William Horsfall was murdered by a group of 4 luddites
How did Luddism come to an end?
Soldiers were drafted in to keep order and after a spate of arrests, trials, transportations and hangings the resistance ended
What was the consequence of Luddism coming to an end for workers?
- Skilled croppers could no longer find work in the woollen industry
- Hand loom weavers in the cotton industry suffered years of falling wages a their skill was gradually taken over by the power loom
- Stocking knitters were more successful, as the superior quality of their produce was still in demand and their wages actually rose once the unrest died down
What are the two conflicting arguements about what luddite agitation was actually motivated by?
- The traditional view of historians is that machine breaking was the instinctive reaction of uneducated men to low wages, variable employment and their inability to maintain a basic standard of living
- The alternative view is that they were highly organised and the target of there protests was actually the laissez faire system of government rather than just machines
What two points does Thompson make about the luddite movement?
- It had a tendency towards becoming a revolutionary movement
- It is likely that there was connection between the ringleaders, given the geographical proximity of Luddite disturbances
What is Thompson’s view of Luddite motivations supported by?
Briggs’ assertion that the Luddites were incredibly orderly and disciplined
Who is the main proponent of the traditional view of luddite motivations?
Darvall
What does Darvall say about Luddite motivations?
It amounted to nothing more than disputes between masters and men. Despite the great efforts of spies to prove this, there id no evidence of political motivation behind what the Luddites did
