# Luddite disturbances peak (1812)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1812-luddite-disturbances-peak
Categories: main-event

Workers attacked machinery they believed threatened livelihoods and customary labour practices. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 1812 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The unrest revealed the disruptive social costs of rapid industrialization.

## Why it matters
The unrest revealed the disruptive social costs of rapid industrialization.

Ruler at the time: [George III](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Luddite disturbances peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Luddite+disturbances+peak&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Luddite disturbances peak](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Luddite+disturbances+peak)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281800%E2%80%931899%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)