The History of the Luddites
In the years following up to the documented Luddite riots and 'Frame Breaking' these men and women tried endlessly to petition to parliament endlessly with plea upon plea to enforce the laws in place forbidding the full take over. But who would the rich and aristocratic in-power listen to if not their rich friends the rich factory owners who pleaded the legislation be repealed. In the year 1809 all of these laws were repealed and the skilled artisans of old were sacked in their hundreds and removing their last hope of democratically regaining their jobs and lives.
The first noted Luddite attack was in Nottinghamshire in the Midlands in Britain in the year 1811. These were started when new wide knitting frames known as 'Stockingers' or 'Framework-Knitters' were introduced that could knit several different strands of wool at once with only a need for a child's attendance to run. The goods these produced were sold at the same high prices as those made by the previous artisans work which was said to be unrivaled and this was a slap in the face to all who said they were skilled and deserved prestige because a simple metal frame was replacing them in the hundreds.
These marches were lead by men called 'Croppers' who were more skilled then the common knitter and demanded more pay. With them the Luddites took massive sledge hammers known as the Enoch's Hammers which were massive hammers with a weight of 30 pounds . these were made by Enoch Taylor of Marsden in West Yorkshire who also made many of the shearing frames and the 'gig mills' that the Luddites were to destroy. The Luddites themselves made many a song and one of them references the Enoch's Hammers and says 'Enoch hath made them, Enoch shall break them!'
In the year 1789 Napoleon started a war on England almost literally blockading it sending its outlying and country districts into almost complete isolation. 1799 saw all trade unions abolished to so they to went uderground with the Luddites to plan and plot for the taking back of their freedom.
With food riots over highly priced food from a bad harvest in the North of England in 1811 and petitions for aid amongst starving communities being ignored by parliament what more could people do but riot.
The first noted Luddite attack was in Nottinghamshire in the Midlands in Britain in the year 1811. These were started when new wide knitting frames known as 'Stockingers' or 'Framework-Knitters' were introduced that could knit several different strands of wool at once with only a need for a child's attendance to run. The goods these produced were sold at the same high prices as those made by the previous artisans work which was said to be unrivaled and this was a slap in the face to all who said they were skilled and deserved prestige because a simple metal frame was replacing them in the hundreds.
These marches were lead by men called 'Croppers' who were more skilled then the common knitter and demanded more pay. With them the Luddites took massive sledge hammers known as the Enoch's Hammers which were massive hammers with a weight of 30 pounds . these were made by Enoch Taylor of Marsden in West Yorkshire who also made many of the shearing frames and the 'gig mills' that the Luddites were to destroy. The Luddites themselves made many a song and one of them references the Enoch's Hammers and says 'Enoch hath made them, Enoch shall break them!'
In the year 1789 Napoleon started a war on England almost literally blockading it sending its outlying and country districts into almost complete isolation. 1799 saw all trade unions abolished to so they to went uderground with the Luddites to plan and plot for the taking back of their freedom.
With food riots over highly priced food from a bad harvest in the North of England in 1811 and petitions for aid amongst starving communities being ignored by parliament what more could people do but riot.
The Attacks
November 1811 Nottinghamshire threatening letters had been sent in their dozens to factory owners but they refused to listen. Nocturnal raids saw machines smashed and factories burned throughout Nottingham, and the Luddites seemed to vanish into the towns and communities who all struggled beside each other. Early 1812 Yorkshire Midnight, with months of discussing and planning a group of 15o or so Luddites arrived at a meeting spot in a forest on their way to Cartwrite's mill at Rawfolds. They approached with the gates barred the only option was forced entry, but as the men pounded the gate with their Enoch's Hammers they heard a bell and the galloping of hooves. To their dismay the Luddites had been ambushed by the military and as everyone fled to make sure that soldiers didn't find their homes empty two men were left behind with injuries these two men had sworn oaths and took their information with them to the grave. By then the Frame Breaking Act had already been put in place and these two men were put to their deaths.
After this the major force of the Luddites seemed to have been beaten, and apart from small scale un-planned attacks on mills the Luddites were out of breath and their war had ended.
After this the major force of the Luddites seemed to have been beaten, and apart from small scale un-planned attacks on mills the Luddites were out of breath and their war had ended.
One of the Luddites only Friends in a high place was Lord Byron. Who made a very famous speech in their defence in 1812 before parliament and wrote to a friend afterwards, "I spoke very violent sentences with a sort of modest impudence, abused everything and everybody, put the Lord Chancellor very much out of humour, and if I may believe what I hear, have not lost any character in the experiment."
Read on at:
http://www.luddites200.org.uk/LordByronspeech.html
Read on at:
http://www.luddites200.org.uk/LordByronspeech.html