Luddites Dbq

Between 1811-1812, the Yorkshire Luddites had sent a threatening letter to a factory owner who had purchased some Shearing Frames. In nineteenth century England, the Luddites began to threaten factory owners who would purchase machines for their mills. At the time, changes were occurring rapidly due to the Industrial Revolution. While the changes had a positive effect on innovations, it had a negative effect on employment for some people like the Luddites. The Luddites were opposed to any form of new technology and were willing to do anything to get rid of it. The term Luddites means anyone who is suspicious of, or hostile to technology. It originated from the name Ned Ludd, who was “a (possibly) mythical leader of out-of-work artisans who lived in Sherwood Forest ”. The group consisted mostly of artisans and hand weavers whose jobs were made obsolete due to technology. As a result of this, they would break into mills, destroy the machines, and threaten the owners . The damage that they initially caused is estimated to be around £100,000, or the equivalent of $124,175 . Due to the damage and fear they caused many of them were either “arrested, shot, or hanged” for their crimes . The letter that was sent to the factory worker
He mentions that if the owner refuses his “request” then he would “detach one of my lieutenants with at least 300 men to destroy them… .” Furthermore, the threat grows to involve a more “permanent solution”; if the owner should protest then they “…Increase your misfortunes by burning your buildings down to ashes… .” Then, just to show how “powerful” they were, the author announces that they “hope for assistance from the French Emperor… .” However, it is unlikely that the Luddites had Napoleon’s support but they were trying to play off of England’s fear of a French Invasion. Not to mention that they lacked the organizational skills needed to be a powerful force