CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationWhy did women workers in Britain attack the Spinning Jenny?

The Spinning Jenny was a machine devised by James Hargreaves in 1764 to speed up the spinning process and reduce labor requirements. By turning a single wheel, a worker could set in motion a number of spindles and spin several threads simultaneously. This technological innovation was seen as a major threat by women who survived on hand spinning. Fearing the loss of their livelihoods and widespread unemployment due to the machine's efficiency, women workers in the British woolen industry began attacking the new machines. This resistance reflected the deep-seated fear among manual laborers that machines would replace human work, leading to poverty and economic distress during the early years of the Industrial Revolution.