The Swing Riots were relatively contained riots which happened in the south and east of England, during the period 1830-1831. The Swing Rioters were traditionally associated with labouring on farms and were angry that the landowners had brought in machinery which they thought would mean that they would lose their livelihood. So, they attacked the farm machinery, rendering it useless, but they were all arrested and imprisoned.
Given that farm labourers often used to live on the farm, the introduction of machinery to replace them meant that they would not only lose their jobs, but their home as well and they had no other skills which they could transfer to another type of work, so their fear was very rational. indeed around this time the Luddites began attacking machines in factories as a protest for losing jobs within the cotton and wool mills. Ironically, much of the most dangerous work within the cotton mills was carried out by children......
Given that farm labourers often used to live on the farm, the introduction of machinery to replace them meant that they would not only lose their jobs, but their home as well and they had no other skills which they could transfer to another type of work, so their fear was very rational. indeed around this time the Luddites began attacking machines in factories as a protest for losing jobs within the cotton and wool mills. Ironically, much of the most dangerous work within the cotton mills was carried out by children......