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Rage Against the Machines: Labor-Saving Technology and Unrest in Industrializing England

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  • Voth, Hans-Joachim
  • Caprettini, Bruno

Abstract

Can new technology cause social instability and unrest? We examine the famous `Captain Swing' riots in 1830s England. Newly-collected data on threshing machine discusion shows that labor-saving technology was associated with more riots. We instrument technology adoption with the share of heavy soils in a parish: IV estimates show that threshing machines were an important cause of unrest. Where alternative employment opportunities softened the blow of new technology, there was less rioting. In areas affected by the Swing riots in 1830-32, technology adoption and patenting rates slowed down for decades thereafter.

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  • Voth, Hans-Joachim & Caprettini, Bruno, 2017. "Rage Against the Machines: Labor-Saving Technology and Unrest in Industrializing England," CEPR Discussion Papers 11800, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11800
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor-saving technology; Social instability; Riots; Welfare support; Agricultural technology; Factor prices and technological change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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