Ludeists

Ludeists were a group of English Protestant weavers who in the early 19th century destroyed silk-weaving looms in protest against the new technology they believed was threatening their livelihoods. The term "Luddite" derives from the name of their supposed leader, Ned Ludd, a mythical figure who became a symbol of the movement.

The Luddite movement originated in Nottinghamshire in 1811 and spread to Yorkshire and Lancashire. The weavers, who were skilled artisans, feared that the introduction of automated looms and other machinery would lead to lower wages, unemployment, and a decline in the quality of textiles. They saw these machines as dehumanizing and a threat to their traditional way of life.

Luddite protests often involved raiding factories and destroying machinery. While the movement was primarily focused on economic grievances, it also had a broader social and political dimension, reflecting widespread discontent with the social and economic changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. The government responded with harsh repression, deploying troops and passing legislation that made machine-breaking a capital offense.

The Luddite movement was ultimately suppressed by 1816, but its legacy endured. The term "Luddite" has since become a pejorative term used to describe someone who is opposed to new technology. However, modern scholarship often re-examines the Luddites, recognizing that their actions were a complex response to rapid industrialization and the social dislocation it caused, rather than simply a blind opposition to progress.