The Luddites
At first the Luddites were simply a group of organised artisans who did not believe in the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution and took serious action to prevent or even simply outright destroy them. Their stories started in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire but they didn’t end there. It is well known that in during the Industrial Revolution many children were used as low paid labourers. But almost every sex, race, age and religion was put to work as everyone removed the old ways and brought in the new simply to survive the hard times the mass movement to the cities brought. Many of their jobs were just to tend to machines and steam engines that needed cleaning, working and maintenance. But as the machines got more and more advanced the skilled artisans and craft knitters of old ran out of jobs as they became replaced with machines and youth labour. How could they stand by as they were replaced by massive hulks off moving metal? They all decided to take action. They made no small matter of it either they went in their hundreds to fight the future and smash every machine and factory floor,no matter who or what stood in their way.
The Luddites of the first Industrial revolution did more then just smashed machines they started with peaceful protests and petitions to the parliament in an attempt to use legislation that was already in place to fight a war they hoped not to fight. But when peace was no longer and option, and they were driven out of their work, and their lives, they had been pushed too far. Riots, violent protests, marches, threatening letters to dignitaries and factory owners and even the assassination of the prime minister Spencer Percival but even this could not stop the future.
For all interested in further research into the origins and writings of the Luddites there is an excellent publication at the bellow URL that will tell of many small events sparked by the Luddites that would interest many a historical reader as well as giving an insight into their lives and feelings on what was happening around them and how they tried to change it.
As can be seen on the first page of this book the Luddites at first gave up on trying o peacefully reprimand the the allowances in place so that they could be completely replaced by these machines but then they resorted to more drastic methods.
A letter written to Richard Ryder the Home Office Secretary to Prime Minister Spencer Percival shortly after his assassination at the hands of the Luddites:
"Every frame Breaking act you Make an amendment to only serves to shorten your Days Theirfore you may Prepaire to go to the Divel to Bee Secraterry for Mr Percival theire for there are fire Ships Making to saile by land as well as by Warter that will not faile to Destroy all the Obnoctious in the both Houses as you have been at a great Deal of pains the Destroy Cheife part of the Country it is know your turn to fall The Remedy for you is Shor Destruction Without Detection--prepaire for thy Departure and Recomend the same to they friends"
For all interested in further research into the origins and writings of the Luddites there is an excellent publication at the bellow URL that will tell of many small events sparked by the Luddites that would interest many a historical reader as well as giving an insight into their lives and feelings on what was happening around them and how they tried to change it.
As can be seen on the first page of this book the Luddites at first gave up on trying o peacefully reprimand the the allowances in place so that they could be completely replaced by these machines but then they resorted to more drastic methods.
A letter written to Richard Ryder the Home Office Secretary to Prime Minister Spencer Percival shortly after his assassination at the hands of the Luddites:
"Every frame Breaking act you Make an amendment to only serves to shorten your Days Theirfore you may Prepaire to go to the Divel to Bee Secraterry for Mr Percival theire for there are fire Ships Making to saile by land as well as by Warter that will not faile to Destroy all the Obnoctious in the both Houses as you have been at a great Deal of pains the Destroy Cheife part of the Country it is know your turn to fall The Remedy for you is Shor Destruction Without Detection--prepaire for thy Departure and Recomend the same to they friends"
your Hbl sert &c
Luddites 1
Luddites 1
Read on at:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=NG6ABlDQ10MC&pg=PA10&dq=luddites+first+hand&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1wSEU5CtHYrLkwWw1oHQBg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=luddites%20first%20hand&f=false
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=NG6ABlDQ10MC&pg=PA10&dq=luddites+first+hand&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1wSEU5CtHYrLkwWw1oHQBg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=luddites%20first%20hand&f=false
For further research:
http://ludditelink.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0112y4d
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
http://ludditelink.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0112y4d
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite