Essays From West of 98: Rise of the Luddites

What comes to mind when you hear the word “Luddite”? If you have heard the word, the odds are good that it has a negative connotation. I remember learning in school that the Luddites were a group that resisted the Industrial Revolution and were opposed to technology and progress. Today, “Luddite” is often shorthand for one who resists technology or struggles to adapt to new innovations. “Luddite” is clearly a modern insult. But it shouldn’t be.

It has been said that history is written by the victors (this saying is often attributed to Winston Churchill, but the actual origin is uncertain). When the victors prevail in a just or righteous cause, this can be a good thing. But what about when history is less black-and-white, or when the winners were not righteous, but merely more powerful? Should the losers be consigned to dishonor in history simply for being on the losing side?

The Luddites face just that dilemma. This movement arose from English textile workers in the early 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution rapidly transformed their industry. I have been thinking about this topic for some time, but then I read a first-rate column on the matter from, of all, people, a technology columnist! Brian Merchant of the LA Times summarizes the story of the Luddites:

“The Luddites were not, contrary to popular belief, idiots who broke machines because they didn’t understand them. They were cloth workers who once led comfortable lives, working at home or in small shops, on their own terms and schedules, with freedom and dignity.

When entrepreneurs tried to move their jobs into factories by using power looms and wide frames that did similar work faster, more cheaply, and much more shoddily, the Luddites protested. These workers first sought compromise, dialogue, and a democratic way to integrate new tech into their communities—to share in the gains. They were ignored. So they rebelled.”

Now reconcile those facts with the history that created an insult out of the word “Luddite.” It sounds like Paul Harvey and “The Rest of the Story,” doesn’t it? So what happened? Well, the Luddites were on the wrong end of victors writing history. You see, the Luddites created a widespread rebellion that inflamed the English working class. English political and industrial leaders were uninterested in the Luddites’ plight and they used military force to quell the uprising. They broke up the protests. Luddite leaders were imprisoned or executed. Factory owners went right along consolidating the textile industry. The craftsmen were cast aside in favor of a smaller group who could do things cheaper and faster. The rich and powerful got even more rich and powerful, until one day their factories were displaced by those who could do things even cheaper and even faster. Today, the English textile industry is all but gone and the English working classes has been in a technology-induced state of flux for over two centuries.

Technology and tools are neither good nor bad. Their status as a creative or destructive force is entirely a result of human decision-makers who use them. The Luddites did not hate technology. They believed that technology could be a creative force. If used wise, technology could have brought more prosperity across their industry. They also saw that technology could be a destructive force if used unwisely, so they protested. English political and industrial leaders only saw the enriching possibilities. And so they created enrichment for some and destroyed it for others.

When you start to understand the full story of the Luddites, it becomes more reasonable to consider oneself a Luddite too. If you support technology improving and enriching our lives, but you are wary of technology being used to amass obscene power into the hands of a few who desire to control the rest, well, congratulations, you might be a Luddite too!

Next week: what would the Luddites think about the technologies of 2023? The answers might surprise you.

James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and the Rural Church and State and West of 98 podcasts. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to him wherever podcasts are found.