The Luddites: Myth Versus Reality

This episode looks at the industrial‑era rebellion that became an enduring symbol of anti‑technology, examining surviving petitions, court records and contemporary accounts to show that the core grievance was economic, not a wholesale rejection of progress. It asks what really happened when the spinning frames rolled into town halls, how Parliament reacted, and why the word ‘Luddite’ came to mean anything that challenges machinery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices