Since Manchester had been the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, it was recognised as a place of both radical feeling and harsh repression. The weavers riot of 1829 was only one of a series of riots that had broken out over the past few decades in protest at the introduction of power looms to factories in the area, which put handloom weavers out of work. In the same year, cotton spinners in the city went on strike. This riot was, however, notable for the violence with which it ended, when three weavers were killed when troops fired on the mob.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Manchester weavers riot". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2013 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4666, accessed 23 November 2024.]