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Skilled Textile Workers Fueled Luddite Origins
- The Luddite movement emerged from skilled textile artisans threatened by mechanization and cost-cutting during the Industrial Revolution.
- Croppers and framework knitters lost status and pay as gig mills and wide stocking frames produced lower-quality goods faster, undermining artisanal livelihoods.
War and Fashion Accelerated Mechanization
- Economic shocks like war and shifting fashion reduced demand and pushed merchants to cut wages and adopt labor-saving machines.
- The result: supply-chain disruption, inflation, and industrialists prioritizing quantity over the skilled quality artisans provided.
Ned Ludd Was A Symbol Not A Man
- Early Luddite actions included breaking specific components of stocking frames to render them dangerous or useless.
- The name 'Ned Ludd' first appeared March 11, 1811 as a symbolic leader tied to a 1779 apprentice story, later revealed fictional.