The Origins and Motivations of the Luddite Movement

The Luddites are best remembered for smashing up machinery during the Industrial Revolution. But what did these 19th-century activists actually want from their destructive actions? How did the government use undercover spies to undermine their attempts at civil unrest? And why was the Luddites’ folkloric founder, Nedd Ludd, most memorably depicted wearing a polka-dot dress? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Professor Katrina Navickas answers listener questions on the rise and fall of the movement made up by textile workers whose livelihoods faced increasing threat from the innovations of the Industrial Revolution.

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