Comment by KaiserPro

> that was organized labor.

The luddites were organised, thats why the government mobilised 12k troops to systematically put them down.

The difference between them and the peterloo lot was that the luddites were entirely working class.

Union activities were outlawed in 1800 by the combination act. The very act of the luddites joining together was illegal. lots of our primary sources are from newspapers/letters/parliament who are all from the industrial classes.

> preferred less-productive tactics

In the USA they had actual battles with armies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_strike

Any kind of union activities at the time of the luddites was illegal, lots of people were transported or executed for being suspected luddites.