Abstract
Can new technology cause social instability and unrest? We examine the ‘Captain
Swing’ riots in 1830s England. Newly-collected data on threshing machine adoption shows
that new technology was associated with both higher unemployment and more riots. We
instrument technology adoption with access to water power and wheat suitability: IV
estimates suggest that threshing machines were an important cause of unrest. Where vibrant
labor markets softened the blow of new technology, there was less rioting. In the aftermath of
the riots, technology adoption and patenting rates slowed down in areas close to Swing riots
in 1830-32.
Caprettini, Bruno