What is Luddite?

Luddites were members of the social movement of textile workers in England at the beginning of the 18th century. The movement began in the city of Nottingham in 1811. It was created during the peak of the Industrial Revolution that workers felt threatened their work by automation. Their concerns led them to the destruction of more textile machines and extensive protests. The British government responded hard, making industrial sabotage with capital crime and condemnation or exclusion of prominent personalities in the movement that became quite large at one point, with thousands of supporters. The Luddit movement was relatively short -term and lasted between 1811 and 1813. Real clashes occurred in Middleton and Westhouse Mill, both in Lancashire County. The mythical leader Luddite was Ned Ludd, or "General Ludd", allegedly one of the first Luddites, although his real existenceis questionable. The culmination of Luddite fiasco resulted in the execution of 17 men in the city in York in 1813. Many Luddites were also deported to the Australian colony.

The Luddite movement was based on opposition to new technologies and cultural changes associated with them. When a new technology is introduced, it initially sends some workers, but creates new jobs that are actually more productive. Nowadays, the existence of this phenomenon is common and more generally accepted - although not completely; No one wants to lose their work. At the beginning of the 18th century in England, however, people were not familiar with this phenomenon. Today, the term "neo-ludism" is often used to indicate those who are against technological progress for cultural or moral reasons.