The search for 'General Ludd': the mythology of Luddism

This article argues that a mythology of Luddism was evident in the disturbances of 1812. Luddism was not a coherent campaign. It did not have clear aims or a united organization. It was, rather, a shared narrative which sustained the participants and their supporters for over two years. The mythology focused on the fiction of 'General Ludd' and his armies. This was a psychological response to the militarization of the population during the Napoleonic Wars. The creation of a mythology was reflective of provincial consciousness, uniting the north of England against their national enemies in government as well as their local enemies in the factories. Luddism was a movement of pro-action rather than reaction. This article expands upon "Writings of the Luddites," Binfield's anthology of Luddite texts. It also adopts recent arguments in sociology concerning the role of narrative in social protest.