Hands on History Projects
Investigating Ned Ludd
Second year University of Huddersfield students on the 'Hands on History' module have explored various aspects of Yorkshire Luddism. Their research is presented here using a mixture of audio, film, text and images.
Government & Military Response
At the height of the government response to the Luddites, there were more soldiers in the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions than were deployed in Spain and Portugal.
Why did the government respond with such ferocity to the Luddite movement, and what were the methods they favoured?
Explore the response»
Luddite Mythology and Legacy
The Luddites were led by the mythological 'Captain Ludd'. But who was he really and where did he come from?
People often argue what the Luddites truly stood for. Did they start a conscious revolution or were they just a group of self-interested men?
The Luddite legacy continues today with Neo-Luddism but do they really oppose all modern technology?
Find out more»
The Myths of Ned Ludd
There are several accounts of a mythical leader figure allegedly responsible for the Luddite uprisings in the early nineteenth century. Through these pages, the myth will be brought to life through a series of not too serious short sketches, historical facts and tasks. Our aim is to inspire the interest of younger historians and a teacher worksheet is available to download.
CLICK HERE to investigate the Myths»
Luddite Trials and Newspapers
The trials ended with 17 men losing their lives.
3 men for the murder of William Horsfall and 14 others for acts relating to breaking and entering, machine breaking and swearing illegal oaths.
Almost as soon as the trials ended the newspapers widely reported people's opinions of the whole affair. So what did people think?
Were they for, against, or somewhere in the middle in viewing the Luddite movement?
Come this way to make up your mind.....»