The Luddites were a movement of English textile workers in the early 19th century (c. 1811-1816).

They protested against the changes of the Industrial Revolution that they believed were destroying their livelihoods.

Their primary targets were the new automated looms and knitting frames that allowed for faster production with less skilled labor.

The Luddites' main form of protest was a form of industrial sabotage: smashing the new machinery.

They were not simply opposed to all technology, but to the new factory system that devalued their skills and drove down their wages.

The movement was highly organized and disciplined, often operating at night and taking its name from a mythical leader, General Ned Ludd.

The British government responded with severe repression, deploying thousands of soldiers to the industrial regions.

Parliament passed the Frame Breaking Act, which made the destruction of machinery a capital offense.

Many suspected Luddites were arrested, tried, and subsequently executed or transported to Australia.

The Luddite movement represents an early, desperate, and ultimately unsuccessful resistance by skilled artisans to the forces of industrialization.