Just Finished Reading: Rebels Against the Future – The Luddites and their War on the Industrial Revolution: Lessons for the Computer Age by Kirkpatrick Sale (FP: 1995)

Being a weaver in early 19th century England was difficult enough with the disruption of trade caused by the seemingly interminable war with France. If that wasn’t bad enough for those scrapping by on barely subsistence wages they could see their future all too clearly despite the increasingly smoke laden air around the new factories. Inside those factories were machines capable of doing the work of dozens of semi-skilled workers whilst being served by the lowest paid workers – women and children. Those with the highest skills still had work but they could see which way the wind was blowing too – as they became de-skilled machine supervisors. But what option did they have? What could they do to protect their way of life and, more importantly, feed their children beyond starvation levels?

Textile workers across northern England knew that if they stayed divided they would be easy prey to the new industrialists who made so much profit off the backs of their subsistence wage workforce and their increasingly sophisticated machines.  The need to organise and present a united front to wage demands and attempts to reduce the harsh conditions in those early factories and the long hours workers as young as six served tending the machines gave rise to the first trade unions – or would have if the Government of the day had not made ‘combinations’ illegal and ‘secret oath taking’ a crime punishable by long prison sentences, transportation to Australia or (later) by death. With this avenue blocked trade leaders, local politicians and some members of the clergy put together petitions to go to Parliament asking for relief. Despite repeated attempts, and even some sympathy from a few ministers, the petitions fell on deaf ears and no relief was forthcoming. Few options remained to the increasingly desperate men (and women) in the region. They could capitulate and take the wages and conditions they were given, they could (if possible) abandon their old lives and move to the growing towns and cities of what would, much later, be called the Industrial Revolution to work in the ‘dark Satanic mills’ with their overcrowding, poverty and disease. Or they could fight. A few decided to fight and created the legend of the Luddites. The origin of the word is anything but clear but it wasn’t long after the decision to fight had been made, seemingly separately by disparate groups across Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire, that communications signed Ned Ludd began to circulate. Initially issued as warnings and manifestoes these gave a name to those willing to take the law into their hands and smash the hated machines understood to be threatening their livelihoods. They were followers of General Ludd – they were Luddites. 

At first the attacks were random, sporadic and small scale. Reports of break-ins at small factories and the destruction of a handful of machines were reported. Before long, and across an increasingly large area, numbers of men armed with various locally available weapons began attacking larger factories, destroying machines, setting fires and ambushing convoys of weaving machines before they had the chance to be delivered and set up. Understandably the factory owners – some of whom sat in Parliament – demanded that the government ‘do something’. Machine breaking was added to the list of capital crimes and magistrates were pressed to deliver the harshest sentences to anyone found aiding or abetting the Luddites. The rising of local militias was authorised as well as the government backed paying of informants and spies. But this seemed to have little effect and the factory owners started taking things into their own hands paying for armed guards on their property and setting counter-ambushes for any Luddite gangs. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t long before the death toll started to rise and the violence started to escalate. The government had no choice but to send thousands of soldiers into the region in the clear expectation that a general uprising was a real possibility. This was all the more radical a response considering that troops were much needed in Spain where Wellington was fighting the French and, later, British troops were desperately needed in America to prosecute the war there. With the area flooded with troops the number of Luddite attacks dropped dramatically. Finally the bribes and spying paid off and several ring-leaders were captured and stood trial. Those who were not hanged shortly after were transported for life to Australia and Tasmania. Despite several subsequent riots the Luddite menace was over. The name, however, and the cause they fought for, remains embedded in history and is still a touchstone to those in the present fighting in their own way against the unfeeling encroachment of technology and the loss of jobs, professions and ways of life across the world. In the 21st Century Ned Ludd still lives!

Having grown up in and around some of the areas where the Luddites operated some 200 years ago it’s hardly surprising that I was at least emotionally familiar with their cause. This book most certainly addressed my lack of actual knowledge of the historic events. I actually thought the Luddites operated at the end of the 18th century rather than the early 19th for instance. It appeared to take quite some time before increasing mechanisation prompted the Luddite revolt but I suppose that even technological change doesn’t happen overnight (or everywhere at once). Although the Luddites failed to achieve their immediate aims I for one wouldn’t go so far as to call them failures and would definitely not label them fools. Despite much evidence to the contrary – after all I’ll reviewing this book on the Internet – I have more than once been labelled a Luddite probably because I don’t have the latest iPhone and don’t have a Facebook account. Such a label, once I stopped laughing, never bothered me. After reading this book it’s a label I can accept with pride. Long Live General Ludd! Recommended to anyone who questions the inevitability of so-called “technological progress”.