The Luddites
The\xa0Luddites\xa0were a radical group of\xa0English\xa0textile workers and weavers in the 19th century who destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest. The group was protesting the use of machinery in a "fraudulent and deceitful manner" to get around standard labour practices.[1]\xa0Luddites feared correctly that the time spent learning the skills of their craft would go to waste as machines would replace their role in the industry.[2]\xa0It is a misconception that the Luddites protested against the machinery itself in an attempt to halt the progress of technology. Over time, however, the term has come to mean one opposed to\xa0industrialisation,\xa0automation,\xa0computerisation,\xa0or new\xa0technologies\xa0in general.[3]\xa0The Luddite movement began in\xa0Nottingham\xa0and culminated in a region-wide rebellion that lasted from 1811 to 1816. Mill owners took to shooting protesters and eventually the movement was suppressed with military force.
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