Frustration was bubbling under the surface. The frustration had been building for years and was about to blow up in a rage that caused destruction. There was no race issue involved, but like America today an underlying grievance fueled the frustration. It was about the privilege enjoyed by one segment of the population at the expense of others.
In 1811, working class frustration boiled over when Luddites attacked textile mills in the English Midlands, smashing steam-powered looms and burning factories. The movement originated in Nottinghamshire and protesters claimed to be following instructions from “General Ned Ludd” who allegedly lived in Sherwood Forest. Luddites were skilled weavers who were losing their jobs to new technology.
In early 19th century Britain, there was no social safety net or job training programs. Unemployed workers were tossed into the street when they couldn’t pay their rent. Some became petty criminals to survive; many were forced into workhouses where they labored at demeaning tasks in exchange for room and board until they died. Some became economic refugees fleeing to other countries.
Working class rage had been building for decades as they suffered the most under an economic transition driven by technology and war. Britain had been at war for over 30 years. First, they fought an eight year war with their American colonies. Then in 1789 after the French Revolution, they fought France until Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
Wars are expensive and the British government repeatedly raised taxes and borrowed heavily in the bond market. Taxes on food and other household goods caused rising prices and periodic shortages which hurt the poor. But taxes on real estate remained low because Parliament was controlled by land owners.
In the early 1800’s, only men owning real estate worth at least 40 shillings a year were eligible to vote. That meant less than half a million men elected the House of Commons. The House of Lords was full of hereditary aristocrats who owned vast land estates. There was no way these individuals would altruistically agree to reduce their privileged position by paying more taxes or creating government programs to help the undeserving poor.
As the national debt soared, the government shoveled ever increasing sums into servicing its borrowing costs. That caused the bond market to sink and Britain slid into an economic depression. To stay afloat, business owners did what they do today. They laid off workers to reduce overhead costs and adopted new technology to increase productivity. In the early 1800’s, that meant the textile mills began converting to steam-powered looms which could produce cloth of consistent quality in massive quantities. The conversion launched the Industrial Age.
The boost in profits was wonderful for the stock market and shareholders but lousy for the workers. The new steam-powered mills needed fewer workers and those workers didn’t have to be skilled. Less skilled jobs meant lower wages. Skilled weavers were no longer economically competitive. Facing financial ruin and no government assistance to soften the economic blow, their rage and frustration boiled over. They attacked the mills to smash the looms.
In 19th century England, the privileged people didn’t waste time in self-criticism of their privileges. Their privileged position was their right and they had no intention of making any concessions to a bunch of hooligan protesters.
The government sent in 12,000 soldiers to crush the Luddites. Soldiers and protesters died in the ensuing violence. In 1813, the government held a mass trial in York accusing the defendants of murdering soldiers and destroying property. Many defendants were acquitted due to a lack of evidence, some were deported to Australia’s prison colony and 17 were hanged.
Over the next century, the privileged class slowly ceded some of their privileges although the debate about privilege continues. Today the English Midlands is a rust belt with a mix of whites, blacks and East Asians. Race, religion and economic hardship feed an undercurrent of frustration that periodically flares up. The rage is fueled, just as it is in America, by a belief that they are unfairly denied privileges available to others.
I relied on several sources including, Wellington: The Years of the Sword, by Elizabeth Longford (1969), The Ascent of Money, by Niall Ferguson (2008), and The Age of Aristocracy: 1688 to 1830, by William B. Willcox and Walter L. Arnstein (1983, 4th edition).
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